Shield and Sword
by spitfire511
Summary: Begins after AoD, referring to the Cabal and their failed mission. Now its up to Kurtis as the Last Lux Veritatis to help save the world, with a never faltering Lara by his side...
1. Prologue

Alright, here i am: a completely Lara/Kurtis obsessed TombRaider fan with nothing to do and an unhealthy addiction to Angel of Darkness. I'd read just about every fan fiction there is to offer concerning the two, and thought i'd try my hand at my own. It starts after AoD, and bear with me because althought it may seem just like every story, it gets better. I've jsut built up enough confidence and courage to begin to post my story, so please read and respond, and you'll get more! 

**Prologue**

Lara Croft Opened the door to the dark motel room. The events of the past few hours left her dirty and tired—she needed some rest before leaving Prague. Still shaken by her time at the Strahov, Lara opened the door to the bathroom and started the shower, resting her backpack on a chair near the bed before taking off her clothes and letting the hot water rinse her of the past few days.

Try as she might to enjoy the shower, Lara couldn't stop reliving the events of the night, and above all she couldn't forget one figure.

"Kurtis Trent" she whispered to no one in particular. Why was he still in Lara's thoughts? She remembered the first time she saw him, in the Café Metro, outside Le Serpent Rouge, and then across that river, if you will. She still didn't know him then, but there was something in his deep azure eyes that kept Lara awed. Even later, at the Louvre, those eyes pulled her in.

With a sigh Lara turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. She wiped down enough of the now fogged mirror above the sink to see her reflection. She'd changed since Egypt, she realized. She was darker, harder, colder; with a look of so much anger and fear she surprised even herself.

"He meant nothing to you," she told herself aloud, with conviction. In truth she admitted she'd felt a physical attraction to him, but little else.

"Forget him. He was simply a pair of extra hands. Nothing else. Besides, he's either dead or on his way home. Forget it." She argued, convincing herself she did indeed care nothing for him.

She put on dry clothes before lying on the bed, trying to get some sleep.

Lara tossed and turned in the uncomfortable bed. But it wasn't that which kept her from sleep.

_She was rushing through the streets of Prague, in first person. She finally got to the Strahov, where she saw a blue motorbike around the corner from the main entrance which she'd used,_ "Trent?" she whispered aloud, but not loud enough to wake her_ beside the bike was a door, she entered, and she realized she was inside the fortress, rushing through the corridors and halls until she came to a dead end, where a lone figure was slumped over, eyes struggling to stay open…_

A loud thud woke Lara up in a start. Instinctively, she reached under her pillow to her pistols and pulled one out, aimed and cocked in one fluid motion, ready to shoot at any intruder. The soft glow of the moon through the flimsy curtains revealed that there was no one there, and she turned on the light to expose that the moonlight shielded no danger.

She got up and noticed her pack was thrown on the floor, shaking. She picked it up and searched through the contents until she came across the object causing the commotion. She pulled out the glaive she'd picked up from that arena in the Strahov, shaking violently. She looked at it and instantly returned to the figure in her dream, remembering one last thing. Deep azure eyes.

_Kurtis_, she thought before she got dressed, equipped her holsters, and ventured into the cold dawn over Prague.

The chirugai shook violently as Lara began to enter the Strahov via the gate she took earlier. Surprised, she let go of it, unaware that she had been clutching it tightly after leaving the motel. Instead of crashing to the grounds, however, it flew up and to the side of the entrance.

"What the Hell!" Lara called after it, following for some time. Suddenly, after turning a corner, she saw a blue motorbike. Forgetting the flying discus she ran her hands along the side of it, wondering why she'd go so far for this one person who meant so little to her. She realized she should probably hurry, and began to run, practically falling into the door at the side of the building.

_Looks Interesting,_ she thought, as she remembered her dream, trying to ward of the encroaching fear she felt as she reentered this place where she'd gone through hell only hours earlier. She followed the Chirugai through halls and corridors she'd never been through before but which looked oddly familiar. She noticed the curious emptiness of the building which had swarmed with armed guards earlier, but thought nothing of it, concerning herself with finding the figure from her dream.

Kurtis was badly wounded, with a lot of blood lost, but he was still conscious.

"Trent!" Lara ventured upon finding the slumped body at a dead end, reaching to check vital signs and survey the extent of the injuries before withdrawing bandages from her pack.

**"**L..ar..a" Kurtis struggled to mumble.

"It's me Kurtis. It's okay, you are going to be okay," she said, quickly bandaging his stomach to her best fashion, then pulling him up, leaning him against her.

"Thank…you"

"Hush," she replied, then,-- more for her own well being—as Kurtis was drifting in and out of consciousness, "We'll get you to help soon enough."


	2. Forgotten Memories

Thanks for the review! Here's chapter two: enjoy, and please respond! 

**Forgotten Memories**

Lara sat in the visitors' chair in the small hospital room. She'd been looking at Trent for sometime, and after verifying the doctor's claims that he was no longer in critical condition, but in a deep, medicine induced sleep ideal for his recuperation. She got up and went to his side, looking at him. She brushed the strands of chestnut hair out of his face, but left her hand there, caressing the cheek. She leaned in and paused, giving a small, friendly peck on the cheek that even she hardly felt. She returned to her position and walked towards the door. The glaive, which she'd brought from the Strahov, lay, forgotten, on a table near the door. She touched it, curious, wanting to take it as an addition to her trophy room, when suddenly it flew up into her hands. She kept it, a smile creeping up her face. She paused in the doorway, still smiling.

"Goodbye, Kurtis Trent" She said before walking out the door and out of the hospital.

She didn't see her smile returned by the man in the hospital bed.

**Two Weeks Later**

_Bang_! Lara's shots rang out in the small firing range adjacent to her outdoors assault course. She cocked her gun, waiting for the next target to spring up, but before she could shoot, another gun rang out, hitting dead center of the target.

Lara spun around, gun still cocked and leveled at the presence she now faced.

A shadow of relief and recognition glazed over Lara's face as both her gun and mouth dropped. Slightly shocked, she recovered by spinning around once more to hit the last remaining target with a perfect Bulls- eye.

"Well, well, you certainly made a rapid recovery," Lara smiled slightly as she holstered her weapon.

"Couldn't have done it without your help," Kurtis Trent responded with a cocky, American Half-smile.

"Yes, well then, it appears I've paid off my debts" She returned.

Hillary, Lara's butler, ventured from the house to the assault course, offering two cups of tea.

"I'm sorry, Lara, when our guest rang the doorbell I took the liberties of showing him your location,"

"So we now allow strangers in our home, do we, Hillary," she teased.

"Sorry, Lara." Hillary sighed, sorry to see that a male houseguest did nothing for his lady's manners, although he didn't expect much after Egypt. But still, he hoped that he saw a flicker of…well of something when she saw him.

"Not at all. This is one stranger I'm glad to see," Lara said to Hillary but loudly enough for Kurtis to hear. She gave Hillary a look that requested some privacy, and Hillary obliged, still anxious to spill Bryce in on the details of Lara's male visitor.

"Are you in London for long, Mr. Trent?"

"That depends, sweetheart," Kurtis smirked.

"Right," Lara cringed at the offensive remark her guest had made, "well then, Mr. Trent, welcome to my humble abode. Feel free to take a look around. And I insist that you stay here for the duration of your trip," She smiled in a bored way, cringing once more, though this time at the thought of playing hostess, _damn Hillary_ she thought, recognizing she'd done this without him even being in earshot, and thus wouldn't receive any reward for it.

"A very generous offer Ms. Croft. And I am inclined to acquiesce, I do need to freshen up," Kurtis smirked, imitating her very proper formality. He followed her into a house as they made small talk, discussing the weather and the like, nothing of substance or meaning. Outside of the room Lara had shown him to, Kurtis reached out and grabbed her arm before she turned away, "and please, call me Kurtis," he said.

There was a pause, he obviously waiting for her to say likewise. She stared at him with a cold, interrogating glare. He thought he saw a flicker of trust in there, but it had disappeared before he could be sure. Lara turned to go. A few steps away from the doorway, she turned.

"You know my name, Kurtis Trent," She said coolly before disappearing down the stairs.

Lara had planned to do her assault course, but as soon as she'd descended down the stairs, she was so overwhelmed with thoughts she returned to her study. Collapsing in a chair, she let her thoughts take control. She thought back to Paris, her arguments with Werner, she remembered the Louvre, the monstrum, Prague, the Cabal and the Strahov, and all the terrible events that occurred inside.

Kurtis, having showered and changed, found Lara sitting in her study, spread lazily in a chair, but gazing to some other time and place. She did not notice him as he stood in the doorway, nor when he casually walked over to her and sat next to her. Without thinking, Kurtis reached out his hand to hold hers.

No sooner had he touched her did Lara jump, snatching her hand back before reaching for her pistols, stopping her action when she realized it was only Kurtis. She relaxed slightly as he smiled, concernedly, at her.

"Don't you clean up nicely," Lara looked over at Kurtis, an attempt to forget that he'd held her hand, who smiled in return, his eyes asking a silent apology.

"You must be wondering why I'm here," He said, a question presented as a fact.

"The thought had crossed my mind, yes." She reacted, taking care not to ask, simply to speak.

"Well I can give you a couple of reasons."

"Carry on,"

"I believe you have something of mine."

Lara led Kurtis down the stairs from her study to the ground floor. She'd practically forgotten about the chirugai, having thrust it in her trophy room only moments after she'd arrived at home to the warm embraces of Bryce and Hillary.

"Its right in here," she motioned to the movable wall behind which lay her trophy room. Kurtis looked confused, staring blankly at the apparently normal wall. Lara only laughed before pulling the switch on the wall opposite, back flipping and rolling to sprint and dive through the retreating door. Panting, she pulled the switch, thus allowing Kurtis to enter.

"Nice," Kurtis smirked as he entered the now exposed trophy room, remarking on Lara's impressive acrobatics. "Really nice," he added, now referring to the astonishing collection of artifacts that surrounded him.

Lara just smiled as she went over to the far corner, shrouded in the soft glow emitted by the fire roaring in the fireplace. She found the glaive laying unceremoniously on a corner table, about to pick it up when it suddenly flew into the air, zipping past her slightly cocked head, finding its way to Kurtis's outstretched hands. She smiled at his smirking face, waving the weapon in an offhand salute.

"So what's next?" she asked, moving closer to Kurtis, who took a step closer so he was practically whispering in her ear.

"Well, I was thinking something like…" he hinted suggestively, Lara stepping back and out of the way of any unwanted actions.

"I was referring to the reason you're here," she laughed at him, surprised at how easily she was able to resist him.

Kurtis smirked as though nothing had happened.

"Well, the second reason I'm here, I wondered if you would join me in a dinner, a thank you for saving my life in Prague," he said, casually.

Lara, now standing in the doorway, turned to him.

"You don't owe me anything, Kurtis."

"Well I'd still like to take you out to dinner."

Lara only smiled and nodded a yes before exiting her room, leaving Kurtis on his own as she cleaned and changed for the evening.

sorry, i'm new to this site, and i'm having a few quirks with getting my chapters up--if you see any errors or mistakes, please let me know! 


	3. Reveal

Still working out the quirks…please bear with me, but in the meantime, do read and respond!

**Reveal**

Lara made her way down the stairs to a waiting Kurtis. She'd showered and changed, putting on a short navy-blue cocktail dress which hugged her body, revealing her toned and feminine physique.

"Don't you clean up nicely," Kurtis called to her descending figure., recalling the tone she'd used with him. He looked at her body, ashamed that he found himself drawn to it, surprised that he wasn't as much as he looked in her eyes.

"Likewise, stranger." She jested to the man in the black suit, who smirked in reply. She noticed a relieved look in his eye, but decided against questioning it.

Bryce appeared out of no where, wolf whistling at Lara.

"You have no idea what it took to get her into that dress. But careful, it'll be even harder to get her out.," he joked, noticing Kurtis's slightly blushing face.

"Let's hope not," he kidded in return, making a move towards the door before Lara interrupted him, purposefully ignoring the interchange between the two males.

"Uh-uh, Trent, I'll drive tonight," she scolded. Kurtis shrugged to Bryce as he followed Lara to her garage, wondering what types of cars a lady such as she might keep.

"Holy shit," said a mesmerized Kurtis walking into Lara's massive garage.

"Impressive, huh?" she said, and then realized he was laughing, "what's so funny?"

"I never took you for a car person other than the jeeps and land rovers," he smiled.

"A girl's got to have her fun." She said in reply.

"So what will it be tonight?" Kurtis asked, eyeing the rows of Ferraris, Aston Martins, Bentleys, and more.

"You decide, the continental—"she nodded off to a black, stylish Bentley, "Or the M6," turning to a BMW coupe.

"How 'bout the Vanquish?" he eyed the Aston martin longingly.

"You're lucky I'm in a generous mood, I usually don't trust people in that car." Lara added curtly before grabbing the Keys and stepping in.

"You're trusting me?" he mimicked the words he'd asked her in the Strahov.

"Here," Lara played along, pressing the clutch button on the wheel to speed the car off into the night.

The restaurant was nice, the décor adding enough warmth to give the patrons a façade of casualty as they were waited on by an impeccable staff. Lara and Kurtis made small talk throughout the meal, but when the lull set in after dessert, neither made a move to stop it, until the silence became oppressive and Lara had to fight it off, appeasing the nagging question in the back of her head.

"So why are you really here, Trent?" She interrogated, the lighthearted manner she'd approached dinner with disappearing.

"Well, I was hungry..."

"That's not what I mean and you know it," she added, flashing an accusing glare at him.

"alright, alright," he said, taking a sip of his water, "well, after I was discharged from the hospital—I guess being Lux Veritatis helped me out, all the doctors were surprised at how quickly I'd pulled through—well, I went to the Public Library, trying to gather as much information as I could, seeing as you'd left the Strahov in quite a mess. They didn't have much, although I was able to determine from the news clippings that Eckhardt was killed. I assumed that was your doing," He nodded at an attempted interjection from her, "Let me finish. Well it turns out that there was a fifth prominent member to the cabal. It had been Eckhardt, Muller, Karel, and," he sighed "that bitch, Boaz. But there was at least one more; a fifth one that had temporarily disassociated himself with the Prague, well, Chapter if you will. I don't know who he is, but I think he's someone we need to be wary about."

Lara sighed as she took it all in; she decided she had to come clean too. "Kurtis, I didn't kill Eckhardt—"

"But he's dead?" Kurtis cut her off, visibly confused.

"He's dead alright. Although I didn't have the pleasure. Karel stopped me before doing it himself."

"Karel? Joachim Karel? But he worked _for_ Eckhardt."

"There was more than what met the eye. Karel was half nephilim. He claimed that he was simply trying to create a world where his race good live at peace. He offered me an opportunity to help him, one which I refused before destroying the sleeper—" Kurtis began to cut her off, "Kurtis, let _me_ finish now. There's something you need to know. Karel demonstrated his ability to change physical appearances."

"A trait common to nephilim, yes."

"Well, he revealed himself to be Bouchard, Luddick, Eckhardt-he was the one who killed our respective associates- an even you." She paused, expecting Kurtis to gasp or show some sort of emotion, instead he remained perfectly calm.

"That's to be expected. He showed you all the people who you'd trusted from some degree to another. Honestly, I'm flattered he would take my shape. Now I know why you are so hesitant around me, though." He stared at her. His eyes sparkled with life, suppressing all and any doubts she'd had that this was simply Karel instead, whose eyes were dull and oppressive.

He leaned closer to her before continuing.

"Lara, how much do you know about the sleeper?"

"Not much, only that it had rested in Turkey before the Cabal brought it to the Strahov, where I, fortunately, destroyed it."

Kurtis sighed. "Lara, you didn't destroy the sleeper."

Lara was a little upset at this. "Didn't destroy it? That thing was engulfed in some sort of energy that nearly killed me with it!"

"Right. You killed whatever it was that lay in there. But it wasn't the Cubiculum nephili. Kristina Boaz was a little more resourceful than Eckhardt believed. After some failed attempts at generating a nephili, she succeeded."

Lara gasped.

"So you mean that the sleeper is still around?"

Kurtis nodded. "Somewhere in Turkey. It's safe there, until someone finds it."

"So what's the problem? It took Eckhardt several hundred years before he could attempt to revive it."

"Yes well, it wasn't for lack of trying. It took him several hundred years before he was strong enough to revive it."

"So what's the problem?"

"When the Lux Veritatis buried the sleeper, they hadn't planned on one of the dying nephilum to find it so quickly. They did, burying with the sleeper a shield before they died along side it."

"So what's so peculiar about a shield?"

"This shield, referred to as Confuto Res--"

"Supreme Being?_"_ Lara questioned, translating the Latin.

"Yeah. A lot of reference to immortality. Whoever holds it is granted enough life and power to awaken the sleeper."

There was a pause, neither of them knowing what to say. They left the restaurant, making a quiet drive home, thoughts racing as they tried to determine their course of action. Each absorbed in their own thoughts, they silently trotted up the stairs to their respective rooms, Bryce and Hillary having long since retired for the evening.

Kurtis caught up to Lara outside her room, grabbing her arm and forcing her to turn. They locked eyes once she did.

"Lara, above all I came to warn you about this_. I_ need to do something, it's in my blood. I'm asking you to come along, although you really have no reason to." He explained.

"What's in it for me?"

"The pleasure of my company." Kurtis smirked, breaking the tension.

"Mmm… that's not enough incentive." Lara teased.

"I really don't have anything else. You'll get to save the world again, if that helps."

"What? No 'Fortune and Glory'?" she smiled

"Afraid not, Lady Croft." Kurtis smirked. Out of Habit, Kurtis leaned in for a kiss before he knew what he was doing.

He kissed her, she let him kiss her, but when he pulled they both smiled. There was nothing there, and they knew it.

"I never was one for the whole casual shag thing," Lara apologized. Kurtis frowned. "Oh don't worry; you'll be able to get some, just not from me."

"Just out of curiosity, then, what was that at the Louvre?"

"I think that was a combination of fatigue and the fact that you were the first person who wasn't shooting at me in a long time."

"What d'ya mean? I had you at gunpoint!"

"Gunpoint, yes, but you weren't pulling the trigger."

"Fair enough," Kurtis chuckled, Lara smiling. She kissed him on the cheek, in a friendly manner.

"Goodnight, Kurtis." Lara said before escaping into the room, content that she and Kurtis were just friends, after a fashion, and would never be more.

"Goodnight, Lara" Kurtis called to a wooden door, content that he and Lara were just friends, after a fashion, and would never be more.


	4. Familiar Feelings

Thanks once again to my reviewers! i think i may have gotten some of the quirks worked out with my machine, so hopefully this one is easier to follow. Enjoy!

* * *

**Familiar Feeling**

When Lara awoke the next morning in her room, she was greeted with that warm, excited sensation that always came with the knowledge of embarking on an adventure. She hadn't even known that she was going to embark on one, and yet the feeling came.

Lara stared at herself in the mirror, thoughts rushing through her head. Unable to sort them out, she sighed, realizing that she had to go, even if she was hesitant.

A quick shower and Lara began to pack, still aware she hadn't even told Kurtis that she was to accompany him. In her closet, Lara's fingers passed over the green tops and khaki shorts she'd worn so many times in the past, a similar set with which she'd emerged from the collapsed pyramid in Egypt all that time ago. She shuddered at the thought, afraid to look back on the life she'd since abandoned, and moved her fingers over to pick something else out.

She pulled blue jeans on and a black tee shirt, not unlike what she wore when she first saw Kurtis. She threw an extra pair of boots in her bag, along with black hot shorts, fatigues, and a pair of camouflaged shorts, into a small duffel bag. She threw in an extra top for good measure. She added her holsters and pistols, as well as some other supplies into her backpack before grabbing a medium weight, Khaki bomber jacket and setting downstairs.

Kurtis looked up from his coffee to see Lara in the doorway of the kitchen, holding the duffel.

"Going somewhere?" he implored.

"Wherever you take me." Lara smiled.

"Glad to have you along. How fast can we get to Paris?"

**

* * *

****Sorry, i know it's short, but the next couple chapters are coming up very shortly!**


	5. Contact

**Contact**

They sat comfortably enough in the passenger seats of the Airbus 321 Jet as it sailed over the English Channel, destined for Paris. Lara and Kurtis made idle conversation before getting to the heart of the matter, reminded of their journey as the plane began its descent.

"So what's in Paris," Lara asked Kurtis, remembering the events leading up to the time they'd first met.

"I'm not sure." Kurtis replied honestly.

"You pull me on this damn plane to a city where I have had nothing but horrible experiences, but you're not sure!" her eyes narrowed at him.

"That's not true." Kurtis replied coolly.

"So you do know."

"No. you met me in Paris." He smirked, implying that it was a good experience.

"Ha-ha. So why _are_ we going there?"

"I know someone who will be able to help us. He was a friend of my Fathers; he's the one who first told me about the shield."

"You trust him?"

"My Father seemed to. Besides, he's the only help we have."

"True." Lara agreed as the plane pulled on the runway, gripping Kurtis's hand beside her, slightly shaken by the shuddering of the plane as it landed, and left it there until the plane taxied to the gate and they began to load off.

"Can I have my hand back?" he teased, grabbing Lara's bag and following her into the airport.

"Kurtis!" the man said as he appeared at the door. "I was not expecting you! Please, do come in. I will however, have to be brief, I have a business partner for an informal meeting," the man gestured into his formal living room, were Kurtis could just make out slender legs and stilettos. "I see you have done well for yourself." He said, glancing at Lara. "And who is this beautiful creature?"

"My _friend_," Kurtis replied, "Lara Croft."

"Lady Lara Croft." Lara corrected, taking in the elegant man with graying hair slicked back. He had been handsome in his prime, she could tell, but his build and face had been in decay since then. Wrinkles and crows feet placed his age at somewhere in his 50s, and his shoulders sagged, verifying her belief. He held his head high, however, and Lara couldn't help but noticing his brilliant blue eyes, once, she mused, as full of life as Kurtis's, though not nearly as breathtaking as those of her companion.

"Just a friend?" He teased.

"Just a friend." Lara responded, holding out her hand for a hand shake, slightly surprised when the man stooped down to softly kiss her it.

"Lara, this is Ulrich Kaufman. He grew up with my father, and had always taken an interest in the Lux Veritatis's happenings," he flashed her a look that told her it was okay. "He's possibly the closest thing to a Lux Veritatis member left." He said, clearly making the distinction that he had once abandoned the cult.

"Unfortunately, now that they have been all but eradicated, there is no one here to continue the duty they carried, but Kurtis here. That is why I called him when I came across the Confuto Res, the shield."

"Right. And how will we get this? This _Confuto Res_?" Lara inquired.

"I am sorry, Lady Croft, this will not be something added to your trophy collection. This shield has to be destroyed before the Cabal can get their hands on it." he sighed before continuing. "Unfortunately, I don't know much about where it is located. Somewhere in Turkey, if my sources are correct. That is all I know." He paused. "Well, I may not know where the shield is. But I know how to find out. There is a painting."

Lara sighed. "Let me guess. A sixth Obscura Painting."

"Yes" he responded, showing no surprise that she knew about it. "It is located in a small cathedral in Florence, here," he pointed to a sheet of paper he withdrawn from his desk, "It's called the Duomo Oscurità"

"That's a fitting name. Darkness." Kurtis said sarcastically. Kaufman continued.

"Indeed. It is somewhere in the church, I am not sure where, but I believe it is somewhere beneath it. Maybe the vaults or tombs of the patrons? That is for you two to discover. It is rumored to hold a key necessary for getting the shield, but also including a map of sorts. It will no doubt be imperative." Lara and Kurtis nodded, accepting the mission along with the sheet of paper that Kaufman handed to them. They exchanged surprised glances when it revealed itself to be an engraving not unlike those which they'd encountered before.  
"God speed, and good luck." Kaufman told them before closing the front door behind them.

* * *

"You are lucky I place such high confidence on your decisions. They will get the last Obscura painting?" 

"Without a doubt. And the map too. They will not fail,. I can assure you."

"Let's hope not. Colleagues of mine have made mistakes in placing such important tasks on inferiors. For your sake, I hope there is no mistake."


	6. Crossing Borders

**Crossing Borders**

_The Walls around her came crashing down, the floor shuddered and shook—it was all she could do to maintain her balance. She looked frantically for an exit. The boulder above her suddenly broke free, crashing down. And then came the Darkness._

Lara awoke gasping for air. _Egypt, again_ she realized, suddenly surprised that she'd allowed herself to fall asleep. The train was jostling, and she'd checked her watch. She'd been out for maybe 5 hours. _Five more to go, _she thought despairingly. She saw that Kurtis was asleep too, and thought she'd oblige the nagging feeling of hunger and made her way to the dining cart, where she quickly digested a sandwich and water and made her way back. She grabbed one for Kurtis and stuffed it in her pack before returning to their seats. She sat there, looking out at the rapidly passing vista and took in her situation. She was happy to be out again, although she was still uncertain as to why she'd volunteered.

She turned to Kurtis, acknowledging that he was still asleep. _Some degree of trust in there_, she appreciated, _But why?_ She watched him sleeping, watched his hair fall haphazardly across his face, shielding the attractive, rough man in a bubble of boyish innocence. _Who are you?_

She ignored any complaints she might get, and nudged his soldier, shouting when he didn't immediatelyawaken.

"Kurtis! Wake up!"

His eyes shot open, expecting the worst, but the rest of him awoke slowly upon seeing Lara's relaxed face.

"Heyyy. I was having a good dream" Kurtis whined, pretending to be mad. He stretched and moaned before turning to Lara. "So what is it?" he said, noticing a slightly ashamed look.

"Kurtis…I, I don't know anything about you!"

"There's not much to know. Born Utah, trained for Lux Veritatis," His face grew somewhat dark, his voice quieter as he mentioned the next part, unable to lie but still somewhat ashamed, "Abandoned the order at 19, joined foreign legion, did some mercenary work," and his face changed to his normal self before adding, "And then I met you."

"Well, that helps, but it's not what I meant."

"What else is there to know?"

"Well, _who_ you _are._ Like, what do you hate?" Kurtis chuckled at the question.

"Fear."

"Right." Lara said, realizing he wouldn't enlighten her anymore, "Well, what do you fear?"

"Fear."

"Oh you are just impossible." Lara sighed, realizing she would never really know much about Kurtis.

"I'll admit it; I'm a mystery of sorts. But so are you, Ms. Croft. It's my turn."

"Alright, shoot."

"Why'd you come back for me in the Strahov?" Lara sighed. She'd asked herself that question a lot. She gave her best answer, her only answer.

"Egypt."

"Egypt?"

"Yes. Egypt." Kurtis yeaned for more information, but he knew he should let Lara decide what and when His eyes drifted to watch the scenery for some time, wondering if he would ever know

He didn't have to wait too long, as it were.

"I was, well, raiding a pyramid when… it started…collapsing," Lara was ready to tell someone, she knew it, but still she was struggling with the words. "All exits where sealed, I searched for a way out…but there was nothing. Darkness.

"I was so alone, Kurtis." Lara shuddered, not crying, but obviously still fearful of that time in her life. Kurtis wrapped his arms around her in a supporting embrace, friendly, almost paternally. But he didn't say anything.

"I was so Alone…I'd been abandoned. I couldn't do that…not after Egypt... I couldn't leave you there, in the Strahov, helpless…injured. Not after Egypt."

Kurtis stifled a remark at her calling him helpless.

"Mortality…it's so overwhelming…I'm not immortal, I know that. _Now._ I thought I'd died in there. It was all so suffocating. The darkness, the emptiness… the end…"

"It's okay. You're not alone. It's okay…"

He held her, letting her drift off to a deep, peaceful sleep.


	7. Firenze

haha, yeah, i know, sorry about calling the _small_ cathedral a duomo, but church in Italian didn't flow as nicely. Can't we just pretend that it adds to the irony of the location? I'll change it if it gets to be a problem...But please keep letting me know if there are any other mistakes!

Thanks for all your reviews so far! Sorry that it's been mostly plot and notso much action, but i promise it's coming up soon! And in the meantime, read and respond!

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Disclaimer: In the whole of this story, I do not ownanycharacteror plots thatare associated withthe Tomb Raider Franchise.

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**Firenze**

By the time the train pulled into the Santa Maria Novella station at Florence, the sun was already setting over the horizon.

The abrupt, lurching stop of the train jolted Kurtis, but Lara remained sleeping in his lap. He tried tapping her, but receiving no response, he gently cooed her name. She woke at that, groggy and apologetic.

"We're there?" she stretched, Kurtis nodding. "How long have I been out?"

"About 3 hours. We should get a place to stay and sleep for the night, though. _I _could use a little shut-eye." He teased. "And some food." He added.

"Yes, sounds like a plan. I could use some more sleep. And some food. I did bring you a sandwich from the dining cart, here,I put in my pack," She searched for it, but looked up apologetically when she couldn't find it, seeing a smiling Kurtis.

"Yeah, about that…"

"You went through my pack?" Lara asked accusingly.

"Well I didn't have much else to do. And I thought I smelled something. I'm sorry it was my stomach acting." He smirked.

Lara smiled. "Well if I find anything else missing…."

"I know, I know. But about that room…"

They made their way out of the crowded Station and towards Via Faenza, in Florence, where they were advised they could find a cheap hotel. They took time to admire the old city, but keeping their destination in mind. They found a cheap hotel, Albergo Essere, not far from the Arno River, with surprisingly pleasant views of the river and City.

"I'll go find some food, not much good with Italian." Kurtis shrugged, dancing off into the night before Lara could respond. Still, she entered into the hotel, where she was greeted by a round, but pleasant, Italian man, who unfortunately didn't know any English.

"Scuzi," Lara said, walking up to the desk. "Per favore, une stanzas…err…due genti. Sí?" She tried in broken Italian.

"Sí, sí. Due stanza."

"No, une stanza, due genti," She tried again.

"Sí, sí. Une stanza. Sí, sí."

Lara didn't know if she'd gotten the point across that she wanted one room but two beds for two people. But she was too exasperated and exhausted to try anymore. The man gestured her to follow, until which she did. Up three flights of stairs and to a room on the left, handing her a key.

"Si, si" was all he said as he retreated.

Lara opened the door just enough to deposit her bags, not bothering to look around before heading downstairs to find Kurtis. She found him just outside on the Via, chatting up a short brunette.

"Thought you didn't know Italian." She scowled, slightly jealous, although more at the thought that he was wasting time than the thought of him flirting.

"No,I saidI wasn't _very good_ at Italian," he smirked as he walked away from the woman. "Get a room?" he asked, following her into the hotel and up the stairs.

"Get food?" Lara countered. Kurtis nodded. "Then yes, I got a room."

Standing outside the door that was designated their room, Lara braced herself, afraid of what she might find. She threw the door open, Kurtis smirked as she looked annoyed at the lone double bed.

"Guess your Italian's no better than mine."

Lara shrugged in reply before questioning, "Well, where is the food?" Kurtis smiled as he revealed a pizza.

"Not like in New York, but it'll do."

The two of them, at this point famished, ate the pizza greedily before crawling, dead tired, onto opposite sides of the bed, comfortable enough, and mature enough, with each other to share.

Lara was almost asleep when she felt a large, masculine hand trail her midriff to her hip.

"_Kurtis!"_ She hissed. Immediately the hand was snatched back.

"Sorry," He yawned, "it's been a long time."

"Yes, well, if that happens again it'll be a _very_ long time." Lara threatened, turning to him, but he was already asleep, and she couldn't help but follow shortly behind him.

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**Hopefully the next chapter won't be too far off, although i have to admit the reason these ones have gotten up so fast is because I basically had them written, but I've caught up with myself and actually have to think about what the next chapters will contain. Please bear with me, hopefully it won't be too long!**


	8. Church of Darkness

**Church of Darkness**

"Here we are." Lara tugged at Kurtis's hand. "Duomo Oscuritá. Looks pleasant enough."

"Yeah, sure, if you like the whole gothic architecture thing."

"Oh quit being so cynical all the time. _I _don't even _have_ to do this, remember?" Kurtis only shrugged.

"Well, we aren't going to get anything accomplished out here." Lara followed Kurtis in.

The church's name was a misnomer. It was no grand cathedral, but rather a single, large room with various c_appelle_ or chapels flanking its corridors. There was no dome in the center, no tiles of gold or mosaics, simply cold, gray stone creating the structure, décor, and embellishments on everything. The church was cool in the way that this stone lends itself to a natural chill, and Lara couldn't help but shiver as it she stepped into the cold air. It didn't help that the church was irrepressibly dark and ominous.

"Where do we start?" Kurtis asked, also slightly shaken by the atmosphere of the church.

"The chapels are my guess. I'll take that side, you check these. Look for anything that mentions nephilim, alchemy, or Lux Veritatis. Or, rather, anything that looks suspicious." Lara left Kurtis and made her way to the left of the entrance, weighing in the amount of work she had in front of her.

There were four small chapels on her side, the two in the center slightly larger that the two flanking them, housing a few small tombs in addition to the shrine like prayer alter to the various saints worshiped therein. She could tell immediately that the first chapel had nothing to offer, its rectangular walls depicting scenes of Jesus' various miracles, a spectacular shrine dedicated to Paul, and a few small pews of wooden benches for quiet worship. The second chapel was much in the same way, although larger and with more pews. The third Chapel this time had a relief of winged angels, and a small angel statuette on an altar. She recognized the possible relation to the Nephilim, the "fallen angels" in Hebrew; although their fanciful faces and spells of laughter left her feeling there was little connection to what she was searching for. To her dismay, the fourth chapel was occupied, a family gathered for some certain worshiping service. She may have raided many tombs and temples with respect but little regard to the holy and spiritual practices they related, but she had enough tact to not disturb an ongoing ritual, whatever it might be.

With a sigh, she glanced over to see that Kurtis, whose eye was not quite as used to the particularities that would cast suspicion, was still on the second chapel. Deciding that he would finish soon enough, she sat down in a middle row of the pew, resting and simultaneously waiting for the special service to end. She thought she'd best check the engraving Kaufman had given her, hoping that she could at least determine what path she had to take once she'd entered the vault. She looked at it in detail, realizing that she'd only glanced at it earlier. The church was dim, and she held it up to the light hoping she would be able to see it more clearly.

She nearly jumped at what she saw, gasping and dropping the engraving, she quickly recovered and bent down to pick up the engraving. As she was gathering it up, a red stone caught her eye. She glanced at it, noticing that it created a line directly through the center of the church. Suddenly, as if she'd seen a vision, she leapt up, practically running to the altar at the front of the church. Once there, her elevated position gave her a full view of the church and its floor, and, smiling, she held up the paper with the engraving.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kurtis saw Lara's sudden movement. He still had one chapel left, he knew, but thought it best to see what Lara was up to. He followed her up to the altar, and stood behind her as she meticulously eyed the paper.

She turned to him, smiling. "Looks like we found our secret door." She showed him the parchment. When held up to the light, a watermark was clearly visible, elaborating some symbol comprised of two perpendicular lines, One stretching and the other similar, intersecting at its middle, forming a Spanish cross with a circle surround the meeting point of the two lines. Also intersecting at the middle was a ray, branching from the center to the lower right hand corner.

Kurtis found all this very interesting, but was still slightly confused. He looked inquisitively at Lara, who understood his apprehension immediately. She took the engraving from him and gestured at the floor of the chapel. Kurtis's mouth dropped open.

There, embedded on the floor of the church, was a long line of red stone, intersected by an identical line in the middle, forming a Spanish cross. A stone circle of similar color surrounded the intersection, with various rays reaching from the center to the chapels. The engraving could be held up, and from the sole window light above the main entrance, the watermark matched perfectly with the design on the floor, the line pointing clearly to the last Chapel, where the family service was being held.

Fortunately, the chapel had been vacated, the service ended. All but one woman remained in there, and Lara and Kurtis waited patiently for her to leave. As she withdrew, they saw a tall woman of stately figure, appearing to be in her forties but obviously pregnant, although it was of no hindrance to her. They thought nothing of her as they brushed past her, entering the chapel and closing the door behind them, the soft red velvet granting them some privacy.

Once inside, Lara saw the obviousness of the chapel and its relation to the painting. The relief on the wall depicted the same winged angels as the chapel next to it, although the angels were scarcer, looking sad and forlorn, no longer caught up in the scenery of heaven but distracted by something far away.

"Look." Lara pointed at one angel who was crying, its wings no longer present. Kurtis followed her finger to the angel.

"The angels who fell from heaven," He explained. "They became jealous of humans; they lusted after the women of the civilizations they were meant to teach righteousness to, led by the angel Shemhazai. They taught the women magic and procreated with them, creating a race referred to as the nephilim, half human, half angel, but unwelcome and unwanted in both realms. This has to be the place." Lara nodded, still transfixed by the crying angel.

Kurtis started scouring the chapel, searching for a key or hole that would lead them to the painting. Lara didn't move, although she let her eyes drift from the angel down to the altar. It was a peculiar altar; there was no saint or patron that it worshiped. It was plane, but large, a single cross standing on top of a large marble block that protruded from the rest of the wall, adding to the indentation allotted for the cross. Lara didn't have to second guess that that was the entrance. She stepped closer, bracing herself and readying to forcefully push the block any way it would move. She was surprised when it wouldn't budge. She sighed, standing up, registering the surrounding area. She noticed that immediately in front of the cross in the altar was a depression, as though something was missing. She smiled at the realization, ducking out of the room before Kurtis even had an opportunity to question her. She returned only a few seconds later, carrying the small angel statuette from the chapel next door. She placed it in the depression, but frowned when nothing happened.

"You're pretty resourceful," Kurtis teased, now noticing Lara's frustrated, rapid thinking of how to proceed.

"That more than I can say about you," She shot back. She tried pushing the block again, but to no avail.

"Mind if I try?" Kurtis asked

"Be my guest." Without another word Kurtis stepped forward and switched the statuette of the cross and of the angel.

"The angels were meant to support the holy doctrine. They were sent down to earth to preach righteousness, and that's when all are problems started. Rightfully, they should be behind the cross, not before it." Now the figurines switched, and Kurtis nudged the marble block, and without any further assistance it shifted to the side, revealing a spiral staircase just wide enough for someone to crawl down.

Lara stood in amazement, then shrugged. "It seems a little obvious, doesn't it? Not much protection from a nephilim."

"They would never put themselves after God." Kurtis replied before retreating down the stairs, Lara following, descending into darkness.

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I did my best to research this, and that was the best I came up with, sorry if it's wrong!

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**N.F.I- thanks so much for offering to fix my mistakes, I will certainly take up your offer, but am away from my computer with all the early chapters saved on it and will be for a couple of days. If your offer still stands, I'd love to send them to you then!**

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**Okay,I knowI said the action was coming up, but it looks like it might be a few more chapters before it gets _really,_ well, action-packed. Until then, enjoy whatI have and don't hesitate to review!**


	9. Catacombs

**Catacombs**

Kurtis was just lighting a flare as Lara stepped beside him. It was utterly dark, she could just make out his figure, and even the light from the flare offered only a soft glow. Lara lit her own, trying to determine where they were.

They'd descended into a small rectangular section of a tunnel which continued off opposite of where they stood. It was tiled in the same, cold gray stone as the church above. Archways protruded from the ceiling at specific intervals, providing support to small tunnel. Lara was inspecting a wall looking for any clue as to how to proceed, when she was interrupted by Kurtis who was doing likewise on the wall behind her.

"There's something written here, looks like some kind of Lux Veritatis script. It's too dark to make it out though, even with the flare."

"Right." Lara's eyes trailed her wall, suddenly noticing a small groove midway up the wall. She smiled, recognizing a trick she'd read about before. "Can I borrow your lighter?" she asked.

"Lara, I don't think now's really a good time to smoke."

"_Lighter_." She said again, more forcefully; loosing patience.

"Alright, alright." Kurtis complied, tossing it to her. She caught it, flicking it and creating a flame before holding it to the groove. Like magic, the flame caught in the groove and spread along the wall, effectively lighting the room and tunnel. "You don't honestly think I'm pathetic enough to smoke, do you?" she teased, taking advantage of his temporary awe.

"Hey, you assumed that I _am_?"

"I saw you smoke in Paris. Filthy habit."

"Yeah it is. Can I have my lighter back now?"

"No. No lighter, no smoke. You'll hate me, but you'll thank me." Lara smiled as she pointed to the wall with the symbols. "Now, what does it say?"

Kurtis grunted, turning to the wall, "Not much, basically just follow the tunnel to the painting, but stay alert, 'for ill intentions do not suit the protectors of the future'"

"Wonderful, let's get going." Lara smiled as she started to walk down the now lit tunnel, Kurtis behind her.

The tunnel was just tall enough for them to stand straight, and although they could clear even the areas were the archways swooped somewhat lower, instinctively they ducked. The continued following the tunnel for a time, it was not long before it veered right, suddenly opening up into a larger, long rectangular room, shelves carved out of the stone with long boxes on either side.

"Catacombs," Lara explained, although Kurtis had guessed what they were. "From the black plague. It looks like these have been down here from one of the earlier waves, perhaps early fourteenth century." Kurtis merely shrugged as he examined one of the more prominent sarcophaguses.

"1307, actually." Kurtis told her, slightly surprised at the sarcophagus he was examining. Lara, also surprised that Kurtis new the exact date, had moved to stand by his side and examine the coffin. "It's Charles De Molay. He was among the blood lines to the Grand Master of the Knights Templar. He was a member of the Lux Veritatis, but his relations to the grand master Jacques De Molay at the time cast suspicion over him. He was arrested and interrogated by King Philip in his successful attempt at destroying the order. He was tortured and eventually killed, despite his mere blood relation to the Knights. The Lux Veritatis stole his body; burying him in the catacombs in the hope his body couldn't be further desecrated. He must have also been a protector of the sixth painting."

"Sounds like somebody was paying attention."

Kurtis thought he heard the faintest emphasis on 'was', as though she were reading his thoughts. He chose to enlighten her. "Yeah, unfortunately it was one of the few times. I didn't even know he was in _this_ catacomb."

"I just hope he doesn't have an incarnation like Brother Obscura. Come on, the painting has to be around here. I'll look—"

"No, you don't have to look. It's here. Help me with this, will you? We have to move it." Kurtis grabbed one end of the coffin, sliding it to the side. Lara understood, and immediately grabbed the other, successfully pulling the coffin off and onto the floor, revealing a small crawlspace into the wall of the catacomb.

Kurtis eyed the crawlspace suspiciously. Lara, however, dove into it immediately, lighting a flare and crawling. In no time at all, the hole opened up into another tunnel, not unlike the one they'd first entered. Lara's hands instinctively searched the wall, finding the familiar groove and snapping Kurtis's lighter so the flames kissed the wall, sending a ripple of light down the tunnel.

Kurtis now stood behind her, facing the newly lit tunnel in dismay. "I'm getting the feeling they didn't want us here."

"I know. Isn't it wonderful?" Kurtis turned to her, surprised to realize she wasn't being sarcastic in the least bit. Cautiously but confident, Lara stepped into the corridor. She didn't jump but eyed cautiously as blades sprung out from various holes in the wall, intersecting to form a grid, before retracting and shooting again in the same, lethal rhythm.

She eyed the lances, measuring the patterns they followed and carefully planning a maneuver.

"They have a distinct speed," she explained to Kurtis but eyes focused on the blades. "We can carefully time a run past them. The question is, can you keep up?" she turned to Kurtis, flustered at seeing his amused face. "What!" she cried. He only laughed.

"That won't be necessary. They obviously don't mind if the painting is found by Lux Veritatis," he said before waving his hand and stopping the blades from their deadly assault. Lara stood awestruck for a moment before gaining control.

"Humph. Shame we can't all be superman. Some of us do happen to get along quite fine, however, without magic powers," She teased.

"Yeah, but it sure makes it a hell of a lot easier." He shrugged, understanding that her inquisitive gaze demanded more. "Lux Veritatis. I was sort of born with it, sort of trained for it. Hated it for a long time, but if it saves _your_ neck, I'm thankful for it." he laughed before crossing the threshold were the blades once penetrated, and Lara, now convinced that it was safe, quickly ran up; she would never be second to enter into the unknown.

It was not long before the tunnel intersected another, forming a cross, and leaving Kurtis confused as to where to move.

"Oh, so I guess these superpowers can only do so much?"

"What can I say? Best let the tomb raider do her job."

"Well I have some powers of my own."

"Oh?" Kurtis asked, unsure if she was being serious or not.

"Yes. All women do. We're fearless of asking for directions." She smiled at him as she withdrew the engraving from her backpack. Kurtis laughed in spite of her jest at his gender. "Seems we ought to take a right here. Then a left at the next intersection."

"That should take us to the painting?"

"Well, that we'll just have to wait and see."

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**A/N: Just for the record, in 1307 there was a crackdown, if you will, headed by a King Philip against the Knights Templar, fearful of the growing wealth and power of the order. At the time, Jacques De Molay was the Grand Master.The character and plot concerningCharles De Molay I made up and, at least to my knowledge, he never existed.**

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**Alright, i'll keep updating now that i'm back on my computer. Thanks to all the reviewers who have read this, and to everyone else do likewise!**

**NFI- can i email you my next chapter to beta read? (it said on your account you would prefer notto recieve emails, so i thought i would check first)i would really appreciate it, just let me know by reviewing!**


	10. Hidden Treasures

**Hidden Treasures**

The map directed the duo out of the tunnels; yet as the end of the tunnel loomed ahead, Lara could see nothing. It was precisely that which made her doubt her interpretation of the map. There was nothing. Nowhere to go; a dead end.

And yet, a quick glance at Kurtis exposed a hauntingly cool and unconcerned face. Determined not to admit that the tomb raider didn't know how to proceed, she subtly slowed her steps and waited for the demon hunter to react.

He didn't, at least not until they had reached the wall itself. He walked towards the end of the hall before lifting a hand, placing it against the wall, and bracing himself. Half expecting him to use some special power or heritage to shatter the wall or cause it to disappear, she laughed when she realized he was pushing the wall. Her eyes instantly found the crack that was their door, and helped him to push the wall herself. Soon, the wall moved, revealing a long, perhaps naturally carved, vertical shaft that was lit by some unknown source. The shaft was rough and uneven, vaguely reminiscent of the Tomb of Ancients underneath the Louvre, although all Lara could make out from her vantage point was the chalky, dusty, and dirty walls that would not lend themselves to climbing. The door opened onto a ledge which peeked precariously down into the shaft, but no sooner had they stepped through then the door retreated, disguising itself into the wall once more.

"Well, looks like the only way to go is down." Kurtis observed.

"Or across." Lara said. Kurtis turned to her, confused, but only saw the blurry movement of a figure running into the air before grabbing a ledge slightly lower, but across the rather massive shaft.

Kurtis smirked as he too sailed across, grunting as he rolled to a stop next to Lara, picking himself up and dusting himself off as he stood up.

Now the two of them were standing in a small alcove, giving a spectacular perspective of the shaft. Lara's initial examinations of the walls were correct. There was no way to scale them, no outcroppings or natural ledges that would allow a somewhat safe descent to the ground. The source of light in the shaft was also revealed: a large, copper or bronze pit sitting atop a large square podium housed a flame. It was a quite large flame, perhaps more equitable to a fire, as it might appear in a large bonfire. Curiously enough however, all this was emitted by one sole flame, as if it were a single candle with a very large wick.

There was nothing of interest in the shaft until the floor was reached. At the opposite end from the ledge were they currently stood Lara could see the foreboding gothic doorway, with an ornately carved arch over a metal door, at the end of a series of steps. She couldn't make out the carvings of the door, but she knew that was where they were headed.

Kurtis had stepped to view the room next to her. He took in the vastness of the room, but also the lack of opportunities to reach the ground. He continued taking it in while Lara turned around to inspect the alcove. Her eyes suddenly spotted a lever in the rear.

"Here. Give me a hand, will you?" Kurtis acquiesced. Within seconds a vast rumbling threw the two un-expecting adventurers to their feet. As soon as the rumbling stopped, Lara quickly ran to the mouth of the niche. Kurtis was soon beside her.

As they peered down they saw that the podium holding the vast fire pit had shot up into the air, level with them now, and that the copper pit holding the flame had flipped, revealing a smooth, flat surface; it was ideal to jump onto. Kurtis thought that that was the obvious method of descending, but Lara held him back.

"Wait. It could be a trap. Or timed. And where would that leave us?" Kurtis only grunted as he watched for a moment, when suddenly the podium retracted into the floor, the copper pit flipping back again, and the flame relighting as though it had never ceased to burn.

"It seems safe enough. No?" Lara tried, enthusiastically but uncertain. Kurtis too was a little apprehensive.

"You're the tomb raider," he said with a shrug.

"Alright. Then we'll go for it." She turned and ran to flip the switch, leaving Kurtis at the mouth with a warning. She flipped it, and both she and Kurtis braced themselves for the resembling shockwave it would emit. Having lost less time, Lara sprinted to the mouth before vaulting into the air and landing gracefully on the Podium, Kurtis beside her.

They allowed the column to recede into a podium with them on it, but jumped off just before the copper pit re-formed, thus finding solid ground beneath their feet at the foot of the stairs to the doorway that challenged them.

Kurtis braced his stance, threw open his palms, ready to use his telekinesis to thrust the doors open. Lara looked on as nothing happened.

"So how do we get it open?" A slightly shocked Kurtis asked Lara's back, she now having bounded up the few stairs to inspect their next trial.

"I'm not sure. There doesn't seem to be a handle or keyhole. I don't suppose there are any once-forgotten Veritatis classes that instructed on how to proceed?" She said, hands drifting over the smooth surface.

Lara had only meant it as a joke, a tease centered on his earlier admission. She didn't expect to see the flicker of understanding in Kurtis's eye as she turned to face him.

"Funny you should mention that." He said, lifting his hand to eye the ring on his finger. "They'd told me some crazy shit when they gave me the ring. I never thought about it-- I brushed it off, like I did most of the Lux Veritats shit. But it still doesn't make sense." He said now fingering the ring on his finger. "They basically said that the ring is the key."

"That's all you got?"

"Hey, it was not something I wanted to be a part of." He returned with a frown.

Lara just sighed. "Well let's think about this. If that's all they told you, there has to be a key hole around here somewhere." Her eyes scanned the room as she moved from her position near the door to one near the copper pot. She now noticed something on the engraving above the door that had once gone unnoticed. An inscription, presumably of the Lux Veritatis, flanked the barbed arrow symbol. "_Tantum Lux lucis est validus ut patefacio ianua_. Only the light can open the door. Well that doesn't help much, we know that _you_ are supposed to pass this way, hence the Lux. Unless, Lux could have a double meaning…" she trailed off as she glanced at the flame in the copper pit.

"Are you crazy? There is no way I'm sticking my hand into fire!"

"Fair enough. Maybe it doesn't need to be your whole hand?"

"Well it's still a whole fire!"

"Well what else do we have!" Kurtis sighed as he realized they had no other lead and turned to stand next to her, observing the solitary flame in the pit.

He noticed something that Lara had previously missed. In the center of the pit, engraved on the copper, was an ancient Lux Veritatis symbol. The barbed arrow pointed towards the door, foreboding and ominous. Kurtis could barely make it out, but in a moment of clarity he could see it perfectly, and read the inscription that surrounded it in a circle.

"_Prognatus ex flamma, quondam reunited is orbis mos partis lux lucis exhibeo semita vos votum._ Born from the flame, once reunited this ring will share the light to show the path you desire." He sighed. "I guess that really is what I have to do."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"God Croft, you have so little faith in me!" he teased her, suddenly thrusting his ringed hand into the flame before he could contemplate what he was doing.

To his surprise, the flame did not burn. It caressed his hand with warmth; a soft warmth such as one might find in a kitchen of a loving mother, a warmth that soothed and comforted. As soon as his hand was in the middle of the fire, a blue cylinder erupted from the symbol in the center. It moved as to impale his hand, focusing on the ring and, after encompassing it, shooting ever upwards. With a fierce wind that blew his hair back and almost threatened his stability, and that of Lara standing next to him, the cone receded upwards, turning red again at a crawling pace as the blue collected in a sphere above the flame. Kurtis, assuming that his role had finished, attempted to move his hand but found he could not; some ancient force was holding him captive. Suddenly, without warning, the sphere exploded, sending to prominent rays out from the bulbous center. The first shot to the symbol above the door, the second hit Kurtis's shoulder, the force knocking him back, pulling his hand out of the flame and causing the sphere to implode, reverting to it's solitary flame and leaving the room as though the spectacle they just witnessed had never occurred.

Lara rose to her feet shakily, her balance distorted by the force of the… _of whatever that was_, she thought to herself. It took her a few moments to regain her footing, to glance at the door with dismay that it was not open, and lastly to find Kurtis up against a wall, eyes closed but visibly conscious. He was clutching his shoulder, where the beam of energy had hit him. She walked to him, taking her time, still unsure of her own footing. By the time she had reached him his eyes were open, and he stared at her. She was not surprised to see fear in his eyes, but was admittedly a little shocked when she thought she still saw a reflection of the sphere in his eyes, brief and gone the second she thought that maybe that's what it was. She realized that it was not that at all, merely the intensity of his blue eyes.

"I take it they didn't tell you that would happen when they gave you the ring." She tried, attempting to ease the tension in the room. Kurtis shook his head before grunting as his body was racked with pain. Lara hurriedly pulled his shirt away to look at his shoulder. She gasped at what she saw.

"Oh come on, it's just a burn, it couldn't be _that_ ugly." Kurtis said. Lara smiled at the fact that he was clearly not too harmed after his _experience_.

"No. It's certainly not ugly. It's—" she was cut off as Kurtis cocked his head so to see.

"Jesus." Escaped his lips as he stared at the barbed arrow on his shoulder, inked as if it was a tattoo. As soon as he saw it, the throbbing pain of a burn disappeared. In a minute it was as though he'd always had it. Recognizing the Lux Veritatis symbol, he shrugged it off, pulling his shirt back over it. He hated that he'd know been branded as part of the order he tried so hard to escape.

Lara looked at him with sorrow. She could tell he hated the reminder of how he'd abandoned the order, the reminder of the weight that now stood on his shoulders. But above all, she could tell that Kurtis was not one who wanted sympathy or a reminder. She quickly changed her expression to a more determined one before pointing out that the door was still closed.

The two of them moved in silence up the stairs to the door. Lara stopped before the metal doors, and stared, confused, as Kurtis approached them with his eyes closed. In a second a blue _shadow_ emerged from his shoulder to find the seal in the engraving, sending the metal doors open with the loud creaking noise of metal on metal.

Kurtis opened his eyes to a bewildered Lara. "Betcha couldn't do that on your own."

"Then it's lucky that I made an exception." She smiled as she passed through the doors into the unknown beyond.

The coolness of the room hit them square in the face. Apparently, the previous had been sickeningly hot but neither realized it. Only a few steps into the room and the metal doors clanged shut, sealing them in. Although neither realized it; they stood transfixed by the room, and by what it housed.

It was pristinely tiled, although the materials of the tiles could not be discerned. It was presumably the cold gray stones of the church and tunnels of the catacombs, but it held more of a shine to it. The room was square, with torches holding a blue flame every so often along the wall, leaving the ceiling in darkness and reflecting across the _pond_ that covered the entire floor. In the center of the room; in the center of the pond rose a marble platform, the base of a podium holding the sixth obscura painting

Kurtis stood there transfixed by the room, but it was Lara who jumped into the water with a graceful dive, ready to swim towards her prize. Kurtis jumped in after her; his dive less graceful but his stroked more powerful, and soon he overtook her, reaching the podium first. He pulled himself up, she right behind him, as they stared at the painting.

"Could it really be that easy?" Lara asked, slightly bewildered.

"I guess so. I've already proved I'm not a nephilim enough times."

She shrugged as she reached for the painting. Grabbing it, she put it in her backpack and turned to Kurtis. "Don't go stealing it from me_ this_ time—" her words were cut off as the room shook violently, and out of instinct both she and Kurtis dived into the water.

"What the hell?" He yelled as she took in the room, the walls pouring water and rapidly increasing the water level, aiming to overflow the room, with them locked in. Lara too saw it, but looked around with her accustomed eye, looking for an escape. She saw it.

The torches that once embellished the walls were no longer lighting the room, instead the room found its light from above. A small, dome like recess in the ceiling, directly above the podium, was giving off light. It was there exit, she knew it, but she could also see the grating prohibiting them from salvation.

"There must be a switch!" she called to Kurtis over the drowning noise of the water, gesturing to the alcove above. Kurtis looked, understood what she was referring too, but as he returned his gaze to her she wasn't there. He splashed around for a few moments, the water level pushing him to the ceiling, before she burst through he surface, using the few moments of air left to tell him she got it and come on. She took one final breath, as did he, before there air supply was cut off and there only exit a long, water filled tunnel. Ever upwards they swam; ever upwards towards air; ever upwards, towards the light.

* * *

**A/N: wow that was a long one- took long enough to write too! please forgive the latin translations- I admit that i used an online translator, so it's probably not very exact.**

**Special thanks to N.F.I for beta-reading it, and thanks to all my reviewers too! **

**hopefully the next update won't be too far off, but don't forget to respond!**


	11. Subterfugio

**Subterfugio**

Their lungs were burning by the time they reached the surface of the water. The swim had been an arduous task, for no matter how close they seemed to get to air, the water level rose cutting off any hope. It wasn't until they had risen to a certain level that the water stopped pouring in. The end was near a small platform; the mouth being a small square just large enough for the two of them to find the air they so desperately needed at the same time.

Near to where the surfaced lay a small platform, their only means of escape. They pulled themselves slowly on to it, their weakened bodies still recovering from a lack of oxygen.

"That was _fun_." Lara said once she'd regained her breath. Kurtis looked over to her, expecting a sarcastic expression, surprised at, but by now accustomed to, the genuine smile across her face. _Man, she's some what of a whack job, _he thought to himself, smiling; her infectious grin making him realize the exhilaration of being that close to not having made it out. His smile continued as he realized that he didn't need to have seen her smile to enjoy it—there was something in the danger that he too liked.

Still, after regaining their breath and with that their strength, Lara and Kurtis began to glance around the small platform, looking for a way to escape from the watery tomb. There weren't many places to look; the platform was only slightly larger than the surface of the water, bordered on three sides by the cold gray stone that laced the church and catacombs. They glanced at each other with the realization that the only way to go was up. Fortunately, there were footholds in the floor, making their onerous trial perhaps somewhat easier.

Lara led the way, scaling the dark stone with a flare clenched between her teeth. Despite her impeccable skill, she was still feeling the effects of a long climb. She knew Kurtis was behind her, and wondered how he was faring. _That's why I usually work alone_, she thought, pushing her body upwards._ It's no fun playing a babysitter. Have to give him credit, though, he's been holding his own rather nicely_. Her thoughts caused a distraction from the pain rippling through her body, but she knew that she would fall if she didn't stop soon. Luckily, just as her feet began to slip, her hands found a small ledge in the surface: a crawlspace that she pulled herself up on, her grunt mirrored by Kurtis's as he did likewise behind her.

"And not a moment too soon." He said, assuring her that he was indeed behind her. She felt the exact same way, but was too proud to admit a possible defeat.

"Right." She settled on, a perfectly ambiguous answer that both agreed with and disregarded him. The crawlspace was small, and it wasn't long before they had reached the end, with a heightened ceiling where they could stand. Kurtis was just doing such as Lara jumped up to pull the grating in the ceiling that separated them from their exit, and in a mere moment the two of them were out from under the church. They found themselves hidden in an alcove behind a large statue in one of the chapels. They soon recognized their foreign environment to be identical to the one they had departed from. Kurtis's shrug told Lara it was the one chapel he had left unexplored.

Something wasn't right. She could feel it. She was used to that feeling; her time on the run in Paris had vastly improved this sixth sense of hers. She couldn't place what was the cause of her upset, and a quick glance at Kurtis told her that _he_ felt nothing was amiss. And yet, as he started to move out from behind the statue, she snatched his arm and pulled him back, silencing him with a finger to her lips. Her only explanation to his confused look was that of her arms reaching down to withdraw the Vector R-35's from her holsters.

Kurtis looked on as Lara peeked around the corner, hugging the wall and remaining invisible to any potentially unwanted gaze. As soon as he saw her cock her pistols, he released the Chirugai from his belt, letting it hover in the air beside him, and withdrew his own firearm.

_Dammit, it just can't be easy,_ Lara thought to herself, staring out of the chapel into the church. She could see the commandos occupying the main room, attention focused on the one across the way; the one that was their entrance into the catacombs. She could tell that there were at least 5 with their guns trained inside the small chapel. And she knew that there was more—there were always more.

She turned back to Kurtis, glad to see that he too had seen the commandos, with his Boran X handy and his glaive _levitating_ precociously by his side. She caught his eyes, and in his deep blue, she could sense that he was ready for whatever was about to go down. _At least we have the element of surprise._

And she made certain to deliver a grand one. In a second she had kicked herself out from behind the statue, picking off her would be assailants one by one. In a moment, the first few bullets found their mark in the first guards head, and the second guard fell in the same way. By the time she'd trained on the third guard, her hits were sloppier, finding a target in his stomach as she ran from the returning fire from the other two trained operatives. Her eyes scanned the room quickly as she fired in the direction of her enemy, locating the door where she'd entered and choosing that as her destination. But the bullets from the sentinels rained into the stone walls above her, shattering the engravings and raining her with debris. Without hesitation, she dived under the wooden pew and started crawling towards the exit. The guns stopped.

Suddenly she remembered Kurtis.

_Shit!_ She thought, realizing that amidst all the action she'd forgotten about him. And she forgot about him again as something grabbed her leg from behind.

She rapidly forced her hands down and to the side, spinning herself over, ready to kick whoever her unseen aggressor was with her free leg. But the flash of gold by her eye told her not to. It was fortunate that she didn't, as it was none other than her companion behind her.

Crawling next to her, he whispered in her ear. "The guys by the chapel are gone. There's a couple more by the door. Some outside probably. Our best bet is the bishop's entrance. It should be in the back, near the altar. We only have a minute, maybe two, before more come in. C'mon!"

In unison, they jumped up from their hiding location behind the pews. The began shooting behind them at the two guards, who were caught unawares, as they ran to their exit. They wasted no time in finding it, the front door bursting open from the force of the mercenaries behind it, just as the back door closed behind them.

The bishop's entrance may have been intended to give him superiority over the worshipers, but in practicality it had little function. The door opened to a small alleyway; a dead end which only led back to the front of the church.

"Shit!" Lara exclaimed behind Kurtis, who shook his head in reply, gesturing to one of the few doors on the building opposite. He didn't skip a beat as he raised his hands and used his telekinesis to throw the door open, allowing them to run through.

It was the exit door to a small apartment building, derelict but reminiscent of better days. Lara, confident that she had more, although not sure how much more, experience running through populated cities whilst being chased by armed opposition, took the lead, throwing open the door to an apartment on the far side of the hall from the entrance to the street the church was one. Kurtis followed her, taking care to shut the door behind him.

"Scuzi!" Lara called to the elderly couple sitting in their family room, he watching an Italian television program and she dutifully darning a pair of socks. She could only imagine their reaction to seeing her and Kurtis running through her room, although she left that thought to be mused at a later time. She ran to the back wall, finding a window and tearing it open before throwing herself out and onto the street below. Kurtis grunted as he landed beside her.

She exhaled. They were now on a more crowded street filled with pedestrians. In the brief moment she took to scan the environment, Kurtis had _commandeered _a vespa. She jumped on behind him, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that they weren't being followed as they sped through Florence, over the crowded Ponte Vecchio, taking a long, circuitous route to get to their hotel.

Kurtis jumped off the scooter once they had reached their destination, still cautious that they may have been followed. "I'll grab our bags. You analyze the painting—we'll need to know where we have to go next." He called over his shoulder, running into the building to grab the bags. Lara didn't waste time protesting. She fished the painting out of her pack, curious as to how, exactly, she would know where it pointed them. She gasped at what she saw. The first thing to catch her eye was painted into the background of the map; rising from suburban streets like a rising sun, were the distinct Muslim minarets of a formerly Christian church.

Kurtis hoped on the scooter, throwing the bag into the hatch at the rear of the bike. "So where are we going?" he asked, revving the bike. Lara smiled.

"Istanbul."

* * *

"Master, we were unable to detain Croft and Trent."

"Do they have the painting?"

"Yes. They are headed to Istanbul. Our men are trailing them."

"Very good. Have your men follow them, but be careful not to arouse suspicion. They will get us the key then, too. And then take them. But remember. I want them alive."

"Yes, Master."

"You have done well, Gunderson."

* * *

**A/N: Just an FYI, subterfugio in Latin means "to escape", but also realize the english meaning of the word 'Subterfuge' meaning the equivalent of a pretense or facade, a misrepresentation. It's not really vital but_I_ thought it was pretty cool.**

**Also special thanks to NFI for beta reading this chapter! thanks also to Akkon for reviewing!**

**Please, let me know what you think about this-- i don't care if you absolutely hate it (although i hope you don't), please review! criticism, constructive or otherwise, is always welcome! even if you simply enjoy reading it, let me know!**


	12. Peculiarities

**Peculiarities**

The ferry ride from the port of Ancona to Montenegro had been, for the most part, uneventful. The 8-hour voyage had been spent in quite opposite ways for the two passengers. The male slept for the majority of the duration of the boat ride, and his only movement upon awakening was to travel to the cafeteria and purchase some sustenance. The female, however, remained acutely aware of her surroundings, although her attention was riveted on one object. The sixth obscura painting.

Having departed the ferry, Kurtis looked around the small port town of Bar. Having traded in the Vespa back in Ancona, he wondered how the hell they were supposed to cross at least three countries and get to Istanbul, and perhaps even more importantly, what the hell they were supposed to once there. He scanned the port, looking for some sort of vehicle that they could rent, or buy, or _commandeer_ to get them to their destination.

He had to admit, he wasn't ashamed when he bought the motorbike from the man for an absurdly cheap price, considering the bike ran and even looked good, manipulating the fact that the man spoke no English and he knew no Serbian or Albanian, and he had to admit, the euro in his hand looked rather impressive. He knew Lara would probably be disappointed, _but she isn't paying_, he thought, now scanning for her. He smiled at his last comment as he found her, sitting pretty atop a motorbike herself, looking far better off than he. And, as if to gloat, her bike looked better.

Lara saw him too, and returned his smile, admittedly proud of her vehicle. "You didn't honestly expect that I would allow _you_ to drive," She said.

"Hey, I'm a good driver!" Kurtis returned with feigned hurt.

"Yes, I'm sure you are. But no doubt I'm better." She widened her smile. "Now, I suggest we get something to eat. There's a pub-like operation over there. I think we ought to discuss our course of action." She led the way to the restaurant, Kurtis following behind her.

"So, about the painting," Lara began. "I noticed something rather peculiar. All the other paintings, weren't maps per say, they just held Eckhardt's Sanglyph pieces."

"But Eckhardt is dead, the Sanglyph used. So it obviously doesn't have that."

"Right, but that aside, the painting was still different. All the other paintings where one sided." Her gaze narrowed, accusing Kurtis of his actions at the Louvre, "You should have noticed _that_."

"Lara—" Kurtis began, but was brushed off by Lara.

"Never mind that. The point is this painting was two sided- it has two maps, if you will. Although they are more of approximate locations."

"But Kaufman said it was the key."

"Yes. I think that one of the maps points to a key, and the other to the location of the shield. But that would mean that Kaufman new it—he claimed it was both a map and key of sorts. HeHe was witholding information from us."

Kurtis shook his head. The idea was too fantastical to comprehend. He wasn't sure that Kaufman could lie to him, to his friend's son, but at the same token, Kaufman had no reason to tell the truth. "So what do we do?"

"Suspecting Kaufman of anything does little to find the shield. We know that there is a key in Istanbul- the Haghia Sophia was in the background, although I strongly doubt that it would be there, but there is some sort of direction on the map. I bet there aren't too many Christian churches that had been preserved, although most would be mosques now…"

"No. The Lux Veritatis would have protected the key. Even though we are pretty much gone, there still would be some sort of lineage designated to protect it. The church should still be a church."

"Well, that gives us a start. But we still need more of a plan—obviously somebody wants this key," She said, referencing the events in the in the Duomo Oscuritá. "But who? Eckhardt's dead, Karel?"

"Karel's not dead, but I bet he'd be too weak from the damage you did him. It must be the other members of the cabal, whoever they are."

"And at the church?"

"Gunderson is my best bet. He wasn't killed in the Strahov, and clearly the cabal pays good money—he'd not one to refuse a good payload."

"Well then he's not going to give up after us. We should get to Istanbul as quickly as possible. I'd say it's imperative that we get to the key before anyone else does."

* * *

A/N: ahh i'm terribly sorry about this chapter. It's not my favorite. I'm updating two chapters quickly because i don't think they are that good,I'm hoping you won't hate me if at least you get two...but still let me know what you think! 


	13. Corners

**Corners **

Night was falling as the two bikes tore into Istanbul, two travelers weary from the long drive.

They'd stopped occasionally, but never more than an hour or two at a time. Lara, having existed on little sleep often in her past, took one look at Kurtis to realize that attempting to approach the key then would be stupid, he barely able to keep his eyes open.

They checked into the first hotel they found, and although the proprietor understood Arabic well enough for Lara to convey that she needed two beds, he shook his head, "We are all but full--our only room is a double with a queen. Do you want it?" Lara only sighed before nodding her head; her lack of sleep was catching up with her under the promise of a warm bed.

Not even the growling in their stomachs could protest the welcome of the queen bed. Tired and bedraggled, they crawled into it, letting it consume them with sleep. Kurtis was out with in a moment, and Lara, also weary but still defying sleep, looked at him. His hair was a rumpled mess, his shirt dirty, and his face held the stubble of a three day old five o'clock shadow. He was rough, but once again Lara was surprised by the boyish innocence that surrounded him as he slept, and she found herself falling asleep listening to the patterns of his breathing.

When Lara awoke, she found herself in an empty bed. She reached under the pillows to find her pistol before daintily stepping out of the bed, readying to blow the head off an intruder. She nearly laughed at herself when she heard the sound of rushing water, a telltale sign of Kurtis's shower. _Good idea,_ she thought as she untangled her hair and smelt the sweat it had trapped over the days. Occupied with this difficult task, she didn't hear the shower shut off until Kurtis, shirtless and clothed only in a towel wrapped around his waist, appeared at the door.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He said to her as she jumped off the bed.

"Not at all, I was just waiting for you to finish in there." She said, standing in front of him. She couldn't help but notice the beads of water still trapped on his muscular torso, the scent of his aftershave wafting in the air. She felt a pulse of desire course through her, not unlike the one she'd felt at the Louvre. _I wonder, was it really just fatigue?_ She thought, close to Kurtis, eyes languid and lips slightly parted, welcoming a kiss, which never came.

She heard a rustle as Kurtis moved into the room.

"Sorry, Lara. You're just not my type."

_Why that arrogant arse! The nerve! To think I wanted to kiss him! _Lara eyes narrowed as she was overcome by fury. "Oh?" She asked, cold and demanding.

"Don't get me wrong. Any guy would be lucky to have you… but you see the thing is…we are two much alike. I can handle a girl like you- believe me, I love to do that. But you don't want to be handled. We both want to be in the driver's seat and refuse to be put on the passenger's side. It wouldn't work out."

Furious, Lara slapped him across the face before stepping into the still-steamy bathroom, heard him mutter _'women'_ beneath his breath as she stepped in the shower.

_Thatcondescending fool! He just assumed that _I _wanted _him _Well, you were thinking of it. But still! To just brush me off like that! I'll kill him; I'll absolutely kill him. But he does have a point. But since when is being alike a bad thing? _

_But what if he's right? _

_He is right; you wouldn't even let him drive you from Bar. You would always be competing with him, always want to be in control. _

_Besides, you wouldn't possibly be able to get along with such a cocky brute. The attraction was, after all, purely physical. _

By the time her thoughts had come full circle Lara had been through the movements of a shower and was stepping out with a broad grin on her face. She hated being wrong, but it was better when she'd determined that herself. She blew her hair dry before plaiting it, and wrapped the towel around her snugly as she stepped out into the room, where Kurtis was fully dressed and his head bent low, inspecting the painting.

"You know, Kurtis Trent, you aren't my type either. I don't really like egotistical assholes." She watched as his face contorted somewhat, his mouth ready to fire back, but he stopped when he saw her smile, offering a truce.

"Well, then, I guess we are even." He smiled back, as Lara grabbed her clothes and got dressed in the bathroom.

* * *

Lara and Kurtis were just finishing a questionable continental breakfast at a local eatery when they decided they had to begin their quest, as it were, for the key. The map on the painting brought them to a small plaza in the small district between the Haghia Sophia and the Grand Covered Bazaar.

The plaza didn't warrant such a name, merely a small square intersected by five small alleyways and centered on a gray stone building. Curiously empty, she and Kurtis were the only ones in the vicinity.

"Well, you were right about it still being a church," Lara exclaimed as she stared at the rather unimpressive building in front of them.

"Uh, Lara?" She heard the fear in his voice, but assumed it was merely hesitation from what they were about to face.

"Oh, come on Kurtis you know it's—"

"Lara!" Kurtis interrupted, more emphatically now. She realized what he was worried about know. Out of the corners of her eyes she could see four of the small alley entrances, and she could tell that large, dangerous looking thugs now blocked three of them. She spun, grabbing Kurtis's hand and making a move towards the last unguarded path, but no sooner had she taken a step than that had been blocked too. She turned to face the Plaza, the men blocking every possible exit; she recognized them as being the same commandos as those in Florence. Still refusing to admit defeat, she turned to face the church. Her situation was grim indeed.

She heard the scuffle at the same time she felt the cold barrel against her head. She could just see Kurtis being knocked to the ground and man handled as the gun was pressed forcefully into her skull.

"Lady Croft, how wonderful to see you again," Marten Gunderson called to her. Lara spun her self around; knocking the commando who threatened her down by kicking out his legs before two more rushed to manhandle her, severely limiting her movements. "Positively Amazonian indeed."

* * *

A/N: alright, still not my favorite, but it'll do.

Thanks to NFI for beta reading it!

**Akkon**- glad you liked Lara's near drowning reaction! thanks for your review!  
**Ellethiel**- thanks for reviewing!  
**Odd Little Turtle**- i'm glad you like Gunderson- he may have a pretty big part in this, we shall see!  
**Carmie**- the interaction there was for you-- you may hate it, i know i said romance. Well don't worry. Kurtis is just to hot not to have some fun with. I just have bigger (and possibly better, depending on your interpretation) plans for him! keep reading!

Thanks for the reviews! keep 'em coming and i'll reciprocate!


	14. Resonant

**Resonant**

"Gunderson!" Lara hissed at her captor.

"Yes, Lady Croft. I must say chasing you has been one of the most excruciating tasks I've endured. First through the Louvre, than the Strahov. Now through Florence, too. But, I've got you now."

"What do you want, Gunderson?"

"I hardly think that you are in a position to demand, Croft. But as you ask, I will tell you. I want that key."

"Like you wanted the painting?" She spat.

"No, I never wanted the painting from Florence: I wanted you. It seems that the key is difficult to find without the painting. But still, it is much more suited to your expertise than mine."

"So I get the key. Then what?"

"There are even more plans for you, Croft. I don't know all of them. But you'll get the key."

"And if I choose not to comply?"

"Then we'll have to take the proper action." He waved an arm and a sentinel moved his gun menacingly towards Kurtis. "It would be a shame, he was very good when he worked for me. But I guess some things change. Croft?"

"It seems I have no choice."

"Very good. Two guards will go in with you, I know better than to trust you with any weaponry. But keep in mind that the entire church is surrounded, and Istanbul is crawling with my operatives."

"And Trent?"

"He will be my insurance."

Lara shook her head. "No. There will be doors that only he can open. He must come with me." _Damn. That's why I like to work alone- I've never needed anyone else before._

Gunderson paused for a moment. "Very well, Lady Croft, only because of the guarantees of my situation. There are no possible escapes for you. Three of my guards will go with you to assure that you fulfill your requirement."

Gunderson spun around and shared a word with a guard before stalking off into Istanbul.

"In," the guard demanded as he and two more followed Lara and Kurtis into the church.

"Thanks, Lara," Kurtis said to her, as they looked around the building, much simpler than the one in Florence, with simply one rectangular room and no hidden chapels or alcoves. Lara replied to Kurtis with a cold, narrow-eyed stare. "What?"

"I can't believe you worked for Gunderson. It would have been nice if you'd shared that little gem of information earlier." She hissed.

"I did tell you, remember?"

"I didn't think you were telling the truth!"

"Look, Lara, I was young, and desperate. I'm not proud of what I did."

"Yes, but you still did it." She countered.

"We're not all blessed with coming from the lap of luxury that you hail from, Lady Croft." Kurtis said as his temper broke. It took all Lara had not to punch him.

"Take that back!"

"You're right, I'm sorry Lara; I shouldn't have said that." He apologized, his disposition returning to his usual self. Lara hadn't actually expected him to take back his comment without a fight. It caught her off guard, and she tried to recover.

"Right." She offered in reconciliation. "I bet the door is in the basement. What are we to do with our 'friends'?" she asked.

"Nothing. We won't lay a finger on them, even if they need it." Lara suddenly found herself reminiscing of a time long ago when she had been searching for the Philosopher's Stone in Rome. Pierre had helped her up from her position dangling on a dangerously deep cavern, under the promise that she wouldn't lay a finger on him. Naturally, she withheld this promise, even as he soon dangled on the edge. _Busy girl, got to go_. She laughed in spite of her situation. _Is it really that easy to return to that life?  
_

Kurtis raised an eyebrow at her laughter, but his only response from her was a twinkling in her eye that told him that she was doing something she loved.

* * *

They found the entrance to the basement in the rear of the church behind the pulpit, the three guards trailing them. The stone staircase they found led in a spiral to the bowels of the building. The gray stone architecture was simple and yet strangely foreboding. 

Lara sensed the hesitation in the guards that followed them, their guns trained on she and Kurtis and yet their eyes fearfully looking at the small room they now stood in.

"I guess this wasn't in the job description?" She said to Kurtis as she gestured towards the wary guards behind them. Kurtis smirked and chuckled before responding.

"Not quite."

The room that they were in showed itself to be an almost identical replica to the entrance to the catacombs in Florence. The walls were gray tiles, the ceiling consisting of archways that threatened to bump a head that wasn't cautious. It was clear that they were in a tunnel of sorts, and Lara knew how to light their path.

She moved into her backpack to extract a lighter, forgetting that it may look like a weapon to the guards. It did.

"Drop it!" the one nearest her shouted.

"It's alright, it's just a lighter. We'll need it to illuminate our path."

"Give it here. I'll do the honors." The guard continued.

"If you wish. Just light it near that groove in the wall." Lara instructed, her patience short.

"Bitch!" the guard exclaimed as he did as told, the fire that erupted having caught the arm of his glove, singing the fabric and burning his hand.

"You insisted upon it." Lara retorted, warranting her a smack across the head, before she was shoved into the hallway. "Tsk, tsk. You should know better than to treat a lady like that." The guard merely grunted as his gun pointed coldly at her back.

"Walk."

She turned to Kurtis as she trudged down the now illuminated path. "Quite an enterprise."

He grunted in reply as he extracted the painting from her backpack. It took them but moments to realize that the etchings on the map for the key dictated the path through the tunnels. It was longer than the previous one, with the tunnel narrowing and widening at various intervals, curving and sloping at will, it would seem.

Finally, they reached their destination. The tunnel evened out, straightened out. A direct route to a familiar metal door. Lara tentatively stepped forward then withdrew her foot. _Traps. There are always traps_. The guard with the burned hand noticed Lara's hesitation and pushed her with the gun. She wouldn't budge.

"If you're so anxious, be my guest." She remarked as she gestured down the hall. The guard flashed her a look that said, "I'm not falling for that again" as he motioned for one of his comrades to proceed. The guard eyed the hallway suspiciously before placing his foot in the direction of the door. Nothing happened. Emboldened, he continued down the hallway with an arrogant attitude. Still, no one else moved. And no one said anything when the spike erupted from the wall to pierce the guard from just about every angle, leaving him skewered but prostrate on the floor, dark crimson pooling around him.

The burnt hand pushed the gun into Lara's back, this time she acquiesced. She and Kurtis deftly move around the guard who'd served to activate the trap, noticing that neither of the guards even batted an eyelash. She briefly wondered if the man who lay dead was just someone desperate for money, like Kurtis. Then she realized that Kurtis wasn't pointing a gun at her, and she couldn't help but feel no emotion for the fallen soldier.

Inspecting the walls she could tell that there were no more spike traps and used her eyes to convey this to Kurtis. He nodded his head in comprehension before he realized she was deliberately keeping this information from the guards; they were still wary of the fate of their comrade and their caution gave Lara and Kurtis the upper hand.

They moved to the door in silence as the other guard shoved Kurtis. "Open it," Was all he said. Kurtis moved forward and placed his hand on the door and closed his eyes as a blue ray of light appeared from his shoulder and imprinted itself in the door, which slid open.

Lara had too check herself. She'd seen the spectacle before, but once again she found it utterly awesome. Clearly, she could tell, the guards did too, as they had to remind themselves to press their prisoners forward. They walked through the door, uncertain of what they would find.

Lara expected darkness. Perhaps she expected it only because darkness was the one thing she'd learned to count on, or perhaps because she really had no idea of what else was there. Nevertheless, she was surprised when she was greeted by light. It was not the bright light one experiences as though looking into the sun or a florescent light bulb; it was the ominous yellow-orange light of looking into fire. Or lava. A light Lara knew well.

Kurtis examined the room from where he stood. They stood on a platform of sorts in an alcove, which began at the door and resulted in a series of wide, descending platforms that formed steps, to a naturally carved bridge that led to ascending stairs before resulting in another alcove and another door. He peered over the edge with a sickening lurch in his stomach as he contemplated what would be a very long fall into a pit of what appeared to be liquid fire. He began to move step onto the stairs before he felt Lara's arm across his chest, holding him back. He looked at her confused while she just shook her head, and motioned towards the two guards. He followed her gaze and found that one was, unknowingly, stepping onto the first platform. A rumble was heard through the cavernous room as the man shook violently on the step, but disappeared as it dropped suddenly into the fire pit below. _Two down, one to go_. Lara thought grimly as she began to calculate a way across. She knew she could jump the gap left by the first step, but was unsure of the amount of time she'd have once there before it plunged into the abyss below.

A sharp poke at her back cut her deliberations short. "Go." The guard with the burnt hand demanded.

"I'm not sure that you are presently in any position to order me around." She chided before turning back to the dilapidated bridge. "Well, I guess we go across then. Be quick on your feet, though. I have no desire to find out what that is." She pointed down.

"This best not be one of your games, Ms. Croft. I'm loosing patience." The guard replied.

Lara only smiled as she leapt across the gap, ready to run. Miraculously, it held her weight. Kurtis, noticing this, jumped to land beside her. The step still held, even when the guard stood beside them. Confidence in the structure restored, the two prisoners and their sentinel walked cautiously down the remaining steps and onto the bridge.

They were nearly halfway across when a violent quake rippled through the framework. Lara glanced at Kurtis but he already knew her intent. Only seconds before the rock beneath them crumbled they had dashed to the opposite door. To their dismay, the guard was right with them. They sped over the bridge, feeling it collapse behind them, practically beneath them. As they threw themselves up the platform stairs they could feel their time running out and vaulted to the alcove, diving in near-perfect roll to reach safety as the stonework disappeared.

Lara and Kurtis sat catching their breaths in the relative safety of the doorway. Adrenaline coursing through their blood, Kurtis stared at Lara as she laughed before a loud groan reminded them of their armed escort. They moved to find him hanging on the edge, fingers slipping, threatening to fall to a fiery death. Neither Lara nor Kurtis made a move to help the guard, who started cursing them, his burnt hand sliding off the rock face.

"Loosing your patience?" Lara asked, innocently, the words of a previous venture in Rome once again resounding in her mind. "Well, _don't let me hold you up_." They turned to face yet another door as they heard a scream ricochet off the walls of the cavern.

* * *

A/N: well, hope that one is more enjoyed then the previous ones! Sorry about those references to Chronicles- I love that game, and I couldn't miss quoting that cutscene...  
Thanks to NFI for beta reading, once again. Thanks also to Ellethiel, Carmie, Froggie, and NFI for their reviews, I really appreciate it! 

Haven't begun writing the next chapter yet,and i'm entering intosome pretty intense sports training for school,so it may be a while (depending on how soreI am), we'll see...keep reviewing and maybe I'll be inspired...


	15. Obscure

**Obscure**

With a dangerously threatening _thwack_ the door that Kurtis had opened mere moments before snapped shut, briefly diverting the attention of the two people who had just crossed its threshold.

"I guess we can't get exit the way we came in." Kurtis said as he turned his head from the door, to Lara, and then to the room.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't have recommended it anyways." Lara answered, her gaze falling back to the room ahead once more.

The room, although large, was a perfect square intercepted by four pillars, which effectively split the room into four quadrants. The walls were an intense marble, pristinely white and giving the impression of a sterile hospital wing, with the exception of the otherworldly glow emanating from each tile. The architecture was clearly gothic, with impressive archways adorning the walls and ceilings; the columns, Corinthian. In the center of the room, however, mirroring the high dome in the ceiling, the white tile was replaced with black, a large, dark, circle manifesting itself as though limited by the pillars. Within this circle was another, smaller and once again created by the white marble. Flame torches bedecked each of the columns, and although they shed little light, their brilliance was reflected in the sheen of the marble, adding an intense light throughout the room.

"Your ancestors certainly got their kicks via architecture," Lara disturbed the peace of the room as she spoke to Kurtis, who merely grunted in reply. She stepped gingerly into the dark circle and knelt to read an inscription separating the inner circle from the other. "_Permissum Fides exsisto vestri rector quod permissum Deus tribuo vos volo, pro minimus dubium mos plumbum in depths of abyssus. _Let Faith be your guide and let God grant you speed, for the smallest hesitation will lead into the depths of hell. Sounds promising." She said as she looked at Kurtis, who was leaning against one of the pillars. She looked confusedly at him before her gaze altered completely, and looking past him she realized what she had to do. She smiled.

"What?" Kurtis asked as he watched her expression change. She stood from her kneeling position and started walking towards him.

"I'm going to fetch us our key." She said excitedly as her fingers examined the pillar's surface.

"And how are you going to do that?" Kurtis asked, still confused.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see." She said, focused on the wall before the trademark _ah-ha_ escaped her lips. Her fingers found the small handholds in the visibly perfect marble, supporting her weight as she pulled her body up the surface of the column. Kurtis watched idly as she grunted with every pull before reaching the top of the pillar. She pulled herself up onto the small square, which allowed just enough room for her to stand up. Carefully planning a jump, she ran to the end before jumping up and grabbing a ledge of the domed ceiling. She traversed around until she found a ledge where she could pull herself up.

"Everything okay?" Kurtis called to her from his spot on the floor, slightly concerned over his lack of visual proof of her safety.

"Never better." She confirmed. "Hold on, there's a lever up here. Brace yourself," she instructed before pulling the switch downwards.

Kurtis watched in bewilderment as the four columns suddenly sunk into the floor, rapidly although rhythmically as though mechanically instructed to do so. He stared on as the columns soon disappeared altogether, a small pedestal in the inner white circle having lifted up in their stead. One glance at the object lying on the pedestal and he knew it was the object they had sought; it was the key.

"What happened?" Lara asked, unknowledgeable of the changes in the room from her vantagepoint.

"_Bingo_." Kurtis replied. As soon as the words escaped his lips a violent tremor overtook the room, nearly knocking him off his feet and sending pieces of the ceiling crashing to the floor as the weight bearing columns no longer served their purpose. His eyes quickly found the pedestal in the center of the room, and he noticed it's rapidly descending form; he sprinted to the pedestal, grabbing the key only moments before the it sunk into the floor, replaced by a tile which concealed the fact that there ever had been such an occurrence.

A particularly large chunk of ceiling crashed to the floor, alerting Lara of what was happening in the room below her. "Kurtis!" she called to him, "Did you get it?"

"Yeah, but I don't see how we can take it out of here!" he shouted back in an effort to both cover the distance between them and make himself heard through the dust and collapse. "Here, you take it!" he exclaimed as he tossed her the key. Effortlessly she caught it and tucked it in her backpack.

"Kurtis, quick! We are not going through this again! There's an exit up here—use your telekinesis— I'm not coming back to find you _this_ time!" She yelled at him, getting the point across. He jumped up, using his palms to push his powers down, giving him the extra height to reach the ledge before landing on his own feet next to Lara. "Now lets get out of here, I'm not a fan of collapsing temples." She said with a smile. She pointed up at the pinnacle of the dome, only a few feet above her, where a large tile rested with a handle. She jumped to grab it and effectively pulled the tile down on two hinges, allowing space for an exit. She scaled the wall through the trapdoor, Kurtis immediately behind her. Together they climbed through the door before they heard it close beneath them.

The space they climbed into was pitch black, and as Lara took a flare from her pack and lit it, it revealed itself to be a long, narrow tunnel. Finished but not as elaborately textured as the entrance. In silence they trudged along the narrow, serpentine path for sometime, before finally they reached an end. Lara, never one for defeat, searched upwards to find a manhole cover atop a short ladder. She smiled as she climbed it, pushed the ladder aside, and crawled out into the brilliant light of dusk.

"What about Gunderson?" Kurtis whispered as he crawled out behind her into the plaza outside of the church.

"I'm not sure—they must still be inside. Come on, let's get out of here." She examined the square to find that they were, fortunately, very close to an alleyway, which she gestured to, crawling towards it cautiously. She suddenly heard heavy boots in the sandy street, but had no time to react before she felt a searing pain in her arm. She glanced futilely at the alley she had hoped to reach before it disappeared along with the night in Istanbul; Lara Croft's world went black.

* * *

"Ah, so I see our _guests_ have arrived."

"Yes, sir."

"And no harm has come to them?"

"No sir, they were drugged before placed into the truck. We brought them directly here sir,"

"Ah, yes. I see you've made the trip in a record three days. Well-done, Gunderson. Escort them to their chambers. Have replacement clothing articles and food placed in their room, I want them comfortable, so they will comply with out opposition. See to it that it is done quickly, though. I'd imagine the agents will be wearing off soon, if not already. I will inform our master now."

"Yes sir. And of the other?"

"We'll leave her to her own devices until she complicates things. Very good, you are dismissed."

Lara Croft peeked through her drug heavy eyes at the speaker. She heard every word of the interchange, but her body was still too weak from the injection to act upon it. She finally coaxed her eye into seeing who "sir" was and would've gasped had she had the capability to do so.

Before she was carried out of the room to her chambers, before the speaker left, before she fell back into the dream-like state offered by the drug, she saw the form of Ulrich Kaufman.

* * *

**A/N**: there you go! I have a couple of the next chapters written, buti still won't be able to update as frequently anymore, what with school controlling my life...but keep on reviewing!

Thanks to **Froggie, NFI**, and **Akkon** for reviewing...also thanks to NFI for beta-reading!

**Akkon**-- i know they speak Turkish in Turkey, but, according to CIA world (yay i love that site), Armenian, Greek, and Arabic are also spoken. I know Arabic is probably more common in the Southern and Western areas of the country, but i figured i could pull a few strings! Thanks for letting me know, though!

Keep on reading and please review!


	16. Out of the Shadows

**Out of the Shadows**

When Lara awoke from the darkness, she was unsure of her surroundings for a mere moment before remembering the conversation that had occurred earlier. _Kaufman! _Lara realized. _He betrayed us! And Kurtis was so sure we could trust him. _As she thought about Kurtis her eyes drifted over too his form, noticing the stirring that was a telltale sign the drugs were wearing off. She allotted him only a few moments before she explained what she saw. Kurtis was visibly upset that he had been betrayed.

"What now?" He asked, finally taking in his surroundings.

The small cell was uncomfortable. The 4 concrete walls and solid steel door left little room for hospitality. The one, small, florescent tube laced one wall casting an eerily white glow on two of the walls, leaving everything on the opposite side in darkness, including the ceiling.

"Your guess is as good as mine. We have no idea where we are, only that we are about three days away from Istanbul. We have no idea what building we are in, or why we are here. The only thing we do know is that whoever is responsible for this, they need us alive."

"Or so we hope."

Lara Croft passed back and forth, trying to reflect one what she just said, half heartedly attempting to conjure up an escape plan, while Kurtis sulked on the cot, still saddened by Kaufman's betrayal, feeling responsible for their current situation, and also thinking the same.

A scuffle outside the door caught both their attentions. A deep thud attracted their gaze to each other, and when sharp footsteps approached the door, they reacted quickly. Lara glanced at Kurtis and then next to the door, and he, returning her bewildered and plotting gaze followed it there, understanding and quietly creeping into the shadows to the right of the steel door. He readied for attack just as the electronic keypad outside beeped and the door began to slide open.

Lara looked up to see a silhouetted figure of a woman. Stepping into the cell with a cold M16 pointed at Lara, the figure moved into the room, just as Kurtis moved to attack. Sensing this, the woman grabbed his wrist just as it began to descend, twisting it around and pulling it. Now,standing behind Kurtis,she offered swift kick to the back of his knees. He slumped to the floor, flashing Lara an apologetic look as he kneeled in front of her. He was then pushed to the ground, the M16 now trained on him.

"I wouldn't do that again," the woman spoke coolly.

Kurtis was surprised to hear a female voice from his prey turned predator, and even more surprised when she allowed him to get up, gesturing that he sit on the cot next to Lara, gun still trained on him.

"Seems you have yourselves in quite a predicament," she said, with an American accent with hints of others that Kurtis couldn't place, as she stepped into the light.

Kurtis was shocked to glance, narrow eyed, at a tall, slender, woman, with dirty blonde hair and steely gray eyes, ever so slightly upturned in the corners to give her a child-like wide eyed look. She had high cheekbones, which sloped to a neat chin, underneath full, pretty lips and a straight, classic nose. Immediately his attention was drawn to her physical assets; she had modest hips and breasts, _well, modest compared to Lara,_ he thought, the womanizer in him recognizing her as one he'd like to have in his bed, although his ego quickly chased away all thoughts as he continued glowering at her.

"And who the hell are you?" Lara asked, breaking Kurtis's thoughts while taking in the black tank top, knee length pencil skirt with a clean but recent tear resembling a slit which stretched nearly the entire length of the skirt to reveal toned and lean muscled legs resulting in a pair of pointy sling back kitten heels. A twinge of jealously coursed through Lara as she looked at the woman's physique, realizing that it wasn't helping that the woman was utterly and astonishingly gorgeous.

The blonde smiled, "My name is Alice, Alice Clarke," She flashed Kurtis a glance with her gray eyes, "and who might you be?"

Kurtis interrupted Lara when she began to respond, "What's it to you?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," the woman named Alice responded coolly. Lara was beginning to like her rescuer; she sensed something genuinely friendly and honest in her eyes, but also the hardened persona of a woman who'd endured much.

"Lara Croft," Lara said, before Kurtis could interrupt her again, "and Kurtis Trent," she said glancing towards Kurtis, who looked at Lara with a cold look. Lara averted her eyes, knowing she shouldn't trust this woman, but for whatever reason, Lara's instincts told her she should, and she generally had very good instincts.

"Pleasure," Alice said, taking the gun off them.

"You're trusting us?" Kurtis responded, noticing Alice's lack of defenses now.

"Oh no, but I could use the company," She laughed, "and the help" she added, Lara liking her even more by the second.

Lara suddenly remembering the guard outside looked at his slumped body and twisted head, the turned to Alice.

"What's your deal?" she asked, gesturing at the guard.

"CIA."

"You don't look like a field agent" Kurtis accused.

"I'm not."

"Oh?" Lara replied, looking outside and returning to Alice, with a then where-the-hell-did-that-come-from glance.

"Well, I was…I requested a transfer to, well, to a desk job." Alice said, somewhat ashamedly.

Kurtis noticed this and used it to intimidate the woman.

"Too much danger on the field?" he asked, apparently still glowering from his earlier encounter, Lara noticed as she heard the harshness of his voice.

Alice, noticing it to, flashed Kurtis a harsh and stern look with her eyes, before responding.

"Not enough thrill."

Lara and Kurtis exchanged puzzled glances, which were returned by Alice with a slight eye roll before she indulged them.

"I hated being told what to do, so I requested transfer to Operations Targeting Officer, so I could essentially tell people what to do, when to do, where to do it and how. I nice little shift in power—"she glanced outside, and then motioned to them to be quiet. She moved so she was just insider the doorway, picked up her gun and aimed, the shot stifled by the silencer attached to the gun.

Kurtis looked at Lara, slightly confused, before looking out at the door. About 100 yards down the empty corridor lay another guard, one bullet hole squarely between his eyes,

"They taught you to shoot like that at the academy?" Kurtis charged Alice, who turned to him, flashing her eyes at him.

"I was an assassin for 7 years before the CIA got me with one in the shoulder. They didn't want to loose my expertise, so they took me in.

"Interesting career choice," Kurtis mumbled, knowing that he'd done something very similar with a lot less skill.

"It got me through college" was Alice's curt reply. Kurtis's mind did the math. If _she was an assassin for 7 years… _he suddenly figured out that she was no older than 30, probably around 28 or 29, and realized that she had accomplished a lot for being so relatively young to his 33.

Lara, who had recognized Kurtis's still hostile words toward Alice, cut in.

"How'd you end up here?"

"I was researching the shield for a recon mission. It was suddenly called off, but I kept up my research. I found some shady relations to the Organization. Guess I found out too much. _They_ abducted me and brought me to a cell. I got out through the ventilation shafts, saw this cell was guarded and figured I could use the help. You?"

"Unfinished business," Kurtis responded.

"How much do you know?"

Kurtis glanced at Lara, letting the incident earlier go,

"Not much, just that the Shield makes the wearer powerful and physically very strong as long as they wear it, and we assume that the Cabal want it so they can have another Ekhardt-like program."

"The Cabal? Eckhardt?" Alice glanced at him, admitting she didn't know these people.

"All I know is what you said about the shield, and then that the Organization, a group of some mafia like members, want it so they can revive some sort of ancient evil."

"Right. The Organization is the same as the Cabal. They want to rebreed the Nephilim race," Lara explained.

"Nephilim? The half breeds between humans and Angels?"

"You got it," replied a now fully cocky Kurtis.

"Right. They are somewhere in this fortress." Lara mentioned

"So we need to find them before the Organization, or rather, the Cabal get their hands on it."

"And destroy the sleeper, the last pure Nephilim." Lara continued, noticing Alice's cool, undisturbed face. As if reading her mind, Alice responded

"I see a lot of weird things in my job" She and Lara exchanged a smile.

"Then lets go" Kurtis said, missing the moment between the two women.

"Right." Alice said to Kurtis before turning to Lara, "But first, do you have any extra clothes?" Alice said innocently "These heels aren't very forgiving." She smiled. Suddenly remembering the clothes left for her on the bed, Lara reached for the black shorts and boots.

"It's your lucky day," she said, tossing them to Alice, who caught them in one fluid motion. Alice retreated into the shadows of the room to put on the shorts. Never one for modesty, she ripped her skirt the rest of the way, letting it fall to the ground around her, and slid the rather short-shorts on.

Kurtis could not help but stare. He couldn't see much, but he did see her figure as she changed. Suddenly, Alice stepped out of the shadows, staring at Kurtis with a look that seemed to say I-know-I'm-hot; you-are-such-a-perv; and merely caught-you, at the same time. Kurtis averted his eyes as he realized he didn't know which interpretation was true.

"Almost ready," Alice said to Lara, turning her glare at Kurtis to a friendly one to Lara,

"Just need some guns."

"Alright, I'll go check around the corner for guards while you get those from our friend here," she glanced at the guard before taking off down the hall.

Alice took the shoulder holster off the guard, as well as his Desert Eagle. Putting them both on she turned to Kurtis, who was getting up ready to follow Lara. Alice started walking towards him; he locked eyes with her as she did, stepping backwards until he was up against the wall.

"Careful," Alice said to him, drawing ever closer. Cornered, Kurtis stood there as Alice drew in really close, putting one hand on his cheek and pulling her face close to his, her lips brushing his other cheek as she drew her face to whisper in his ear, "I sting," She said, before turning and walking out of the room, leaving Kurtis panting at the proximity of her, both intimidated and allured.

* * *

**A/N:** well, what do you think of that? I really like this character, and although I have plans for her, let me know what you think of her, After all you all are the ones reading it!

I didn't have this chapter betaread-- i tried to edit it myself, but there are bound to be mistakes, so just let me know if you catch any!

I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but in the midst of school and field hockey i have very little time on my hands! please keep on reading and reviewing and i'll do my best!

**Froggie**- yeah, sorry my extent of languages other than English is limited to high school spanish and what Russian i tried to teach myself over the summer, and random phrases in european languages, but no latin. Sorry about the translations, I've only been able to find one website that offers free english to latin translations, so if you know of any good ones, let me know!  
**Ellethiel**- thanks for the review! glad you are enjoying it!

thanks again to everyone who's read my story!


	17. Yellow Brick Road

**Yellow Brick Road**

Kurtis soon caught up to Lara and Alice, who were covering each other as they snaked down the hallways, both using expert motions and movements as they recalled upon their days in organized squadrons.

When they established that there were no guards around, Alice spoke up, indifferent towards Kurtis who searched her face for something which would explain her actions in the previous moment.

"I understand that there is some sort of archaeological dig in the basement—there should be an excavation entrance to the complex that houses the shield." She explained. "The basement is only accessible by an elevator. That elevator should be down the hall somewhere," She peeked around the corner, noticing a handful of guards that they could easily take out.

"Hold on," said Kurtis. He braced himself and raised his hands as he let his Farsee ability glide around the corner counting 15 guards, hiding in front of a door, beyond which lay an awesome arena, with only one other exit. He tried to get through it, but he couldn't, and his vision came crashing back to him as he stumbled backwards, Alice's support the only thing that kept him from crashing to the ground.

"There are about 15 guards there, protecting an arena beyond which I couldn't get through," he told them, noticing, along with Lara, Alice's confused and bewildered gaze.

"Lux Veritatis, an ancient brotherhood which has pitted itself against the cabal. I have some special, eh, talents" Kurtis responded to her look. Alice, still slightly confused but accepting it, turned serious.

"I can take maybe one or two from here before they realize what's happening," She said, motioning to the M16, which she'd thankfully picked up off the guard she'd targeted earlier. "That leaves 13 armed guards…" Her eyes were distracted as a metal disc that had laid motionless at Kurtis's hip now shook violently, raising into the air, popping violent looking blades before circling wildly around them.

"Not a problem" Kurtis laughed at her, and was surprised when she in turn smiled at him, eyes locked between them.

"Then let's go," Lara disrupted their gazes.

Kurtis's Chirugai, ready for attack, rounded the corner and flew towards the guards, just as Alice stepped into the corridor and took out three of the guards before the Chirugai reached them, brandishing them and slicing the guards who stood awestruck at the spectacle clean across the jugular. Soon, the coast was clear, and the trio proceeded towards the door.

They had reached the end of the corridor and where about to turn down another when suddenly they froze. The sound of several clicks echoed threateningly through the halls, and they followed a dozen read dots appear on their chests. They were cornered.

* * *

The three of them had no choice but to comply with their captor's wishes. Handcuffed and weary, they entered the empty arena. The arena was large and cavernous; opposite their entrance stood a platform where their hosts sat.

"This seems to happen to us a lot, doesn't it," Kurtis attempted to brighten Lara's mood, but her scowl stayed as she shot him a violent look. "Careful there sweetheart, _I'm_ not the enemy."

Lara's scowl suddenly increased as he saw her eyes flick up at their hosts.

"I never got to properly thank you for achieving the key for me, Lady Croft, please accept my apologies." A familiar looking pregnant woman smiled wryly at the prisoners.

"I'd sooner die," spat Lara.

"Careful, my dear, that can easily be arranged," Ulrich Kaufman interrupted from beside the woman.

"Then why haven't you killed us yet?" asked Kurtis, his eyes suddenly falling on the woman who sat in a throne like chair; her power obviously greater than that of Kaufman.

"Welcome to the Keskin Kale Compound I'm afraid I have been rather rude. My name is Natasha Petrova. But names mean so little, no? Even the great name of Lara Croft is not without an epithet. Very well. I was, and still am, a member of the Cabal, but I disagreed with the practices of Karel. One of the few who knew his ulterior motive, I disassociated myself from that project, but after Joachim's pleas I agreed to continue looking for a way to reestablish the divine race of the Nephilim. I need you two, the Tomb Raider, and the Lux Veritatis warrior, to get me my shield." Petrova managed a maniacal laugh, her hand caressing her pregnant stomach before her eyes skirted the arena before resting on the third figure, now being brought into the arena heavily flanked by guards.

"How divine of you to rescue these two adventurers, Ms. Clarke. Sadly, this is the last toleration I'll have. I'm tired of your usage of my guards for target practice." Natasha moved from her chair, one hand on her stomach, making to leave the room. "Take care of her, Gunderson," She said before disappearing.

"Ms. Clarke, you disappoint me. I would have thought better from you." Gunderson cooed, provoking Alice into frenzy

"Guess I'm a bit rusty," She spat, a fire in her eyes

"A shame, really; such talent gone to waste. Very well, I have no need of you anymore."

"Ha, Gunderson, you just can't let it go, can you?" Alice called to him, cool voiced but still in a frenzy; her words in effort to buy time before the inevitable.

Slightly surprised at the sight of Gunderson, Lara followed the line of his now cocked gun to see Alice struggling, a wild, animal instinct flashing in her eyes alongside the fear that rested in them too. Before Lara could react, she noticed a scuffle beside her.

Kurtis, without hesitation, suddenly spun around, grabbing the weapon from the guard behind him and holding _him_ at gunpoint.

"You do have a tendency to get emotional, Gunderson." Kurtis boldly called out to his captor. "Oh, you know it's true. Don't tell me that chasing your former employee through the Louvre wasn't frustrating. And I know you loved getting us in Istanbul. But as hot-tempered as you are, I know you wouldn't like to lose Reynolds here," he gestured to the guard he was holding hostage. "Let her go, Gunderson."

Gunderson, shooting an evil- yet strangely detached- glare at Kurtis, put the gun down. Kaufman got up from his chair, assessing the whole situation.

"That was a very large risk Kurtis, but honorable. Your father would have been proud. Fortunately for you I'm feeling more tolerable than Miss Petrova. Release Ms. Clarke." The guards threw Alice to the ground at Lara and Kurtis's feet. Kurtis, having relinquished his insurance, leaned down to help her to her feet. She pushed him away as she shot him cold look.

Kaufman spoke to Gunderson before turning back to look at the prisoners.

"I'm a very generous host, it would appear. I don't want you tired for your expedition tomorrow. So you'll rest tonight. Ms. Clarke, you will be accompanying Mr. Trent and Lady Croft tomorrow, but for the time being you will remain in a separate cell." He chuckled to himself, "We have taken special precautions so you will not escape via the ventilation shaft again. Guards, take them away," Kaufman disappeared off the Platform and out of the arena, leaving the guards to escort the wary prisoners to their cells, Lara and Kurtis sharing one and Alice nearby, locking them in the dark so they could rest and contemplate their bleak futures.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so the reviews concerning Alice were a bit mixed...for now I'll just continue with my original story line...

I know this chapter is a bit more of a filler/explaining chapter, but i promise the next updates will keep this story under the action/adventure/ROMANCE (hehe) genres!

Special thanks to NFI for beta reading, and thanks also to Ellethiel, Froggie, and NFI for leaving reviews...

Thanks to all who are reading this, and don't forget to review!


	18. Visitors

**Visitations**

Alice paced back and forth in her cell like a caged lion, hating the concrete walls that once again were her only friend. Looking up she thought she'd try the grating on the ventilation shaft once more, hoping that against all odds she'd been imagining the bolts around the edges. She dragged her chair in a sudden burst of enthusiasm to the center of the room, directly underneath the vent. She leapt up on the chair, tilting it precariously on two legs for maximum height. Her fingers traced the outline of the vent, pushing upwards vigorously. Once more convinced that she could not get out that way, she kicked the chair away and let out a furious, frustrated scream, which carried through the shaft to the cell next door.

Lara glanced up at Kurtis, imploring as to whether or not he'd heard the scream too. He did. Both of them new it was a scream of aggravation, not anguish, but still they thought of their companion and former rescuer.

"You probably should go get her and bring her here. I don't think they'll care if they find her in _here_, as long as she's not out _there_." Lara told him.

Nodding his head in agreement, he suddenly realized that was a direct assignment, not a general observation. "Me? Why don't you go and get that bitch."

"Kurtis, honestly, what has she done to you?" Lara explained maternally. "Besides, I could never help her get back up. Nor do I have telekinesis to lift the vent."

Acquiescing to her request with a grunt, Kurtis used his powers to lift their vent, and, flashing Lara a look that questioned why he was doing this, he jumped up before pulling himself up and scurrying off.

Alice perked at the sound of movement from the shaft above. Expecting the worst, she moved into the shadows, ready for an attack on whoever the unexpected guest was. Remembering the bolts, she was surprised when the vent was lifted, and a figure jumped down. She aimed for a punch when the figure stepped into the light.

"Alice? It's me," Kurtis Trent called to her. She kicked him anyways, sending him to the wall and pinning him with her boot pressed firmly, but not fatally, against his throat.

"What the hell?" he managed between gulps of air, her boot pressed even more firmly against his neck.

"_You_ worked for... for that _whore!_" she yelled, at him. Not knowing who she was talking about his thoughts instantly turned to Lara. Enraged that she would insult his company, he lifted a palm and concentrated, pushing her into the opposite wall. She, having had to turn to gain her balance, hit it face on, and cracked her lower lip. In a few easy strides Kurtis was there, pinning her to the wall with one hand on her shoulder and the other around her neck.

"Who?" he demanded. She spat at him.

"_Who?"_ he tried again.

"Gunderson!" She hissed.

Kurtis chuckled and smirked, "I've heard him called a lot of names," he said, relaxing visibly as he moved his hand from her neck, upwards to cup her chin, his thumb gently brushing her lips. Although it wasn't threatening, it served only to anger her more. "But never _that_ before." He turned around and paced to the center of the room. _Big Mistake._

"Well, apparently you worked for him too, _Ms. Clarke_—"he continued before being cut off.

"Never!" she screamed violently at him, lifting her hand to strike him from behind. Kurtis sensed this and spun to face her, grabbing her wrist as she threw it at him, holding tightly before she could do any damage. Enraged, she began to throw her other arm at him. He caught that hand too. Now defenseless, he pushed her back against the wall, pinning her hands up at her sides, surprised at how easily he could control her in such a furious state.

"You seriously don't like him, do you?" he accused her, forcefully meeting her cold gaze with his own

"He fucking killed my father!" She said, her voice betraying none of her emotion, but her eyes, fiery with anger and sadness, stared at him intensely, his own gaze softer now; his face dangerously close to hers.

In that instance he realized just how small of a world it was. He'd worked for a man who killed her father; sought the man who'd killed his own; and ultimately met her as a result of some unfinished business from that previous expedition. He could have laughed at the irony of the whole affair, but he stood transfixed by a fire that flashed in her eyes: An expression of vengeance and anger; an expression that was reflected in his own.

He was distracted briefly by her lips, which, slightly parted, seemed to beg him to come closer. He stood for a brief moment, understanding fully how a delay can increase passion. He moved his lips in for a kiss, but refrained from the actual contact before unable to contain his own desire.

He leaned in for the kiss, her arms still pinned to her side. He could taste the blood on her lips; Alice soon was kissing him back, slightly surprised but nevertheless concentrating all her fury and energy into the contact as he brought her hands behind his neck and she pulled him tight, searching his mouth for some harbor for her emotion. His arms circled her waist and brought his hips close to hers, pushing her against the wall and completely overcome with passion.

Suddenly, slightly afraid of her volatile nature, he pulled back. He stood there, lost in her silver eyes and she lost in his blue. He never truly noticed her eyes before. Bewitching and mesmerizing, he noted that for having thought they were such a dull color they were so vibrant; the shades of the horizon over a stormy sea; he could read the emotions coursing through them.

Suddenly, she removed her arms from their tender embrace, bringing her hand to her lip, wiping the blood away before glancing at it to verify it was blood. Her eyes, which had grown hardened at the sight of the liquid, returned to him; her hand suddenly connecting with his cheek as she slapped him before sliding from his grip at the waist.

Kurtis, in his vast experiences with women, Lara included, had received a fair share of slaps to the face, but with his limited knowledge of the female brain he assumed that he deserved just about every one of them. This was no exception, although he wasn't sure if he'd received it because he kissed her, or still because of his past affiliations with Gunderson. He turned to face her, shaking his head as she moved the chair underneath the vent.

"There's no way out, just a shaft connecting our two rooms. Everything else is limited by fans. C'mon, I'll give you a boost and we can get back to Lara," he responded, trying to keep his voice indifferent. Alice frowned.

"I'll get up on my own," she said adamantly, pulling the chair forward and tilting it, reaching and pulling her up into the vent.

"_Connasse_," he mumbled under his breath to the shadows in the room, still rubbing his smarting cheek.

"_J'ai entendu cela_," Alice said, turning around as she smiled slightly, thankful she'd known enough French to know that he'd just called her a bitch, leaving her enough knowledge to retort with _I heard that_. She reached down, offering Kurtis a hand. He ignored it, pulling himself up without her help, evidently furious that she'd understood what he said.

The two of them scuffled back to the adjacent cell, Kurtis trying not to check out Alice's ass as he followed her, thinking about what just happened in the cell, especially the kiss they'd shared. He wondered if she, too, was thinking about it. Of course, she was, but she never let on to it.

Lara saw, from her surprisingly comfortable position on one of the two cots, the scowls on Kurtis and Alice's faces. _What the hell happened_ she thought, but was too tired to question it, pushing it into the back of her head reminding to ask later…

"We ought to try and get some sleep," Kurtis said, matter-of-factly, still hurt from the previous interaction. Alice only shrugged.

"You take the cot, I've got the chair."

"Suddenly so chivalrous?" Alice asked.

"Just being considerate. Don't make me regret it," _What is it with her? _He added mentally.

"You don't have to be a martyr." Alice said, coldly, before lying down on the bed.

It wasn't long before Kurtis wished he hadn't been such a gentleman, _especially after the way she took it_. The chair did nothing to lend itself to sleep. With a sigh, Kurtis looked at his two female companions. And, hungrily, at the cots they occupied. Lara was sprawled all over her cot, leaving no room for a tired Kurtis. He looked over at Alice. She was curled nicely facing the wall. _Plenty of room, _thought Kurtis, too tied to fear how she might react. He lay down, rigid but relaxed, taking as little room as possible, next to a presumably asleep Alice.

She felt the depression in the bed, too nervous to sleep. _You are ignoring your number one rule; you are starting to trust them!_ She tensed at the heavy breathing, realizing it was Kurtis. _Relax, give the guy a break, he's probably exhausted,_ she thought, afraid that she'd now be far too conscious to sleep. She was slightly surprised to find herself relax, feeling almost protected next to him, drifting into a deep sleep.

Kurtis groggily awoke, relaxed and refreshed, before realizing his surroundings. He checked his watch, silently cursing for letting himself sleep for nearly 5 hours. He could tell Lara was still sleeping, and Alice… he suddenly remembered he was sharing a bed with her. He turned to look at her, noticing how she'd turned in her sleep and was now facing him. He couldn't help but look at her. _God, she is gorgeous_, he thought, _she looks so innocent, like an angel. Shame it disappears when she's conscious._ As if on cue, Alice's eyes fluttered open. Kurtis tensed, expecting a harsh word at his being in bed with her. He wanted to move, to save himself some dignity, but couldn't. Fortunately, no response came. He took in her face: lips parted, slightly upturned at the corners, like a perpetual smile, eyes wide and refreshed. He found himself staring into her eyes as she locked into his. All thoughts melted away as he became lost in her silver and she in his blue.

She didn't know how long he'd been looking at her, or how long she'd at him. At first she was afraid he was dead, if not for the tell tale signs of breathing and blinking. She just lay there completely relaxed; at ease.

Suddenly, the door beeped and slid away, more artificial light shining brilliantly into the room, brutal, disturbing whatever peace was in there; waking Lara up.

"Good morning," Kaufman said as he followed three guards into the room. "I trust you all had a pleasant sleep. Good to see you have found your friends, Ms. Clarke. Saved us a trip." Three more guards entered behind the original three, and helped them to manhandle the prisoners, handcuffing their arms behind their backs and forcing them into the hall.

* * *

A/N: so i know that chapter may get me shot by all those diehard lara/kurtis fans, but i couldnt resist! yes it's a little fluffy, but i sort of like the interaction between Alice and Kurtis...to me it makes more sense than it would between kurtis/lara (at least in this story!) so enjoy it, but still things are always subject to change, so let me know what you think! 

Special thanks to NFI who, once again, beta-read my chapter!

Shadow Rising, Ellethiel, City of Angels,and Froggie- i'm glad you enjoyed it! thanks for the review!

Hope you enjoy and dont forget to review!


	19. Forced

**Forced**

Lara fought at first, but realized it was futile and, to some degree, unnecessary. _They need me_, she realized as she noticed how they did their best to keep her somewhat comfortable; kicking and screaming did nothing. Alice and Kurtis followed suit.

They were brought through the compound in an almost circuitous route, until they faced another white wall. A swift twitch of Kaufman's hand and the wall slid open, revealing an elevator. Ushered in, the threesome was pushed, facing the wall, and braced as they sensed their sentries following behind.

"Yes, Lady Croft, a risk indeed," Kaufman said, weighing the flicker of hope behind Lara's eyes. "But I would refrain from any and all activity. I have a dozen guns pointed at you and a dozen more at every floor, regarding what direction we are headed in." a slight pause. "Yes, Mr. Trent," regarding his only male prisoners slight smirk. "I could be bluffing. But, considering your situation, that's too great a risk, even for you."

The pause after him was stifling, the prisoners uncertain as to what the future would bring for them, or rather, if they even had a future.

Soon, the wall that they were pushed upon slid to the side, having in fact been another door to the elevator. They were greeted by even more armed commandos, in the bowels of the Keskin Kale Compound.

They were pulled across the large basement before finding another, smaller, less fortified and modern, elevator, with simply a metal grating surrounding a wooden floor. Lara, Kurtis, and Alice were shoved in, steel bars closing behind them, effectively caged.

"This elevator will bring you to what is the main entrance to the tunnel complex. Your expedition begins here. _Bring me that shield_!"

"KAUFMAN!" Lara tried, "You know it's not going to be handed to us, and you know that. We need weapons!"

"Your weapons and packs are down there, Ms. Croft, as well as all equipment you will need. I hope for your sake your expertise does not fail you." Kaufman turned to go, and then "Hopefully, Ms. Clarke, your friends will bestow the same favor you did earlier. Help you survive. That is of course, if they can themselves." Kaufman stalked off into the darkness as the brief window of the basement slid out of sight, the elevator plunging down.

_Shit,_ thought Alice. _What have I gotten in to? _Fear overcame her, visibly. Kurtis saw it, and took a step towards her.

"Its okay—" Reaching to hold her hand, just as the doors flew open.

Alice shoved Kurtis off, coldly.

"Let's just find this goddamn shield."

* * *

Just outside of the elevator lay an artificially lighted, small atrium, a long tunnel leading out of it opposite the elevator. A lone, makeshift table sat off to one side, carrying all the equipment the three would need, including the pistols, Boran X, glaive, desert eagle and AK-47 that they each preferred. 

After loading the provided packs with the equipment, they set off down the tunnel, thankful for the artificial lighting, yet still cautious; a ready hand was placed on or near their weapons of choice.

The tunnel was man-made, wooden arches supporting the chalky limestone every few yards. Elaborate hand-sketched paintings of Christian saints and worshippers adorned the walls, each with intensely blue eyes which stared emotionlessly at the passersby. Both Lara and Alice found their eye's drawn to the figures, the steady motion of their feet stopping to touch the wall-paintings.

"I've heard of figures like these," Lara said to Alice, Kurtis having maintained the course and now ahead of them. "They are common in Cappadocia, the underground cities made by persecuted Christians in the first through third centuries. Most of those frescoes were destroyed, though. Rumor has it among the locals that if you take the blue eyes and powder them, it forms a love potion." Lara moved her hand from the wallbefore continuing after Kurtis. Alice just stood their, thoughts of other blue eyes drifting into her head. She wondered if blue eyes really could be a love potion before she laughed at herself and ran off after Lara.

Soon, the frescoes on the walls ceased, leaving only the chalky limestone in an austere monotony. Then, suddenly, it stopped.

"Dead end," Kurtis replied, observing the obvious.

"Not quite—look, there is something engraved there." Lara pointed. Kurtis took a few steps forward to examine more closely, Alice remaining behind still uncertain and admittedly scared.

"**_Ut Praesumo in atrum recesses of Abyssus unus must non alieno Olympus_**. To Venture into the dark recesses of Hell one must not forget heaven," Kurtis translated, shrugging before taking his hand off the wall and turning, just in time to see Lara and Alice fall through the ground that was no longer beneath them.

* * *

By the time Kurtis could react and through a rope around one outcropping of rock and repelling down behind his fallen comrades, the victims were beginning to stir. Fortunately, it was not a life threatening fall, although Lara suffered major bruises, and Alice's arm hung limply by her side. They stood up, a little dizzy, Lara brushing the dirt of her knees and Alice popping her shoulder back in with a grimace, flashing Kurtis and accusing look. 

"Mind telling us next time?" she growled.

Kurtis glared back. "Like I was supposed to know that would happen."

Alice continued. "_You're _the one with all the special powers."

Kurtis never faltered. "Hey, I didn't ask you to come along."

"Fuck you." Alice retorted, her voice composed but her eyes filled with emotion.

_Be my guest,_ Kurtis began to respond, but hardly had he gotten the first syllable out before Lara restrained him.

"Would you just shut up and look around!"

They did, finding themselves in a massive, rectangular hall, with two rows of three columns dividing the room into three. Alice and Kurtis forgot their rift as they stared in awe at the intricately carved bass relief of angels and heaven on all of the walls, perfectly mirrored in the glossy floor. The hall withdrew into a dome of sorts in the ceiling, the circular center emitting a soft glow to illuminate the room in an aura of white. The three separated, Lara and Kurtis each feeling the intricate carvings and molds of the walls, Alice unknowingly stepping forward, empowered by the beauty of the room.

"_Shit!_" Lara and Kurtis each turned just as Alice ducked before rolling forward and kicking her feet up off the ground, pulling her body behind it just as she gracefully avoided a series of three sharp blades rushing out in between the first two columns into the middle passage.

Alice turned around, slightly smiling, but eyes wide with fear.

"Well, _I'm _certainly not the Tomb Raider. You should probably go first." She said, gesturing towards Lara.

Despite herself, Lara smiled, happy to be given the opportunity. She eyed the blades. The first one at Shoulder level' the second, slightly after it, leaving no room to stop, at midriff level; and the last would leave her footless if she didn't get over it in time. Never failing to accept a challenge, Lara stepped back enough to give herself a running start to a jump that would take her over the blades, rolling to recover her foot

"Right. That's probably a good idea." She agreed with Alice. They then turned to Kurtis, who was actually laughing at the two on the other side of the blades. He reached out his arms and braced himself, successfully stopping the blades with his telekinesis. He stepped recklessly between them before arriving at Lara and Alice.

"On second thought…" Alice mumbled.

"Alright, then, showoff, you go first." Lara interrupted.

"With pleasure." Kurtis smirked, stepping off into the hall.

He didn't get very far, though, before passing through the second set of columns. He heard Lara shout his name and began to turn before he suddenly felt his body crash to the floor.

"What the ?" he said, the weigh of Alice on top of him; her face dangerously close to his own. Had he lookedin her eyes he would have seen silver eyes filled with emotion, but he wasdistracted by the razor-sharp metal disc gliding through the airabovehim, having the potential to decapitate him in one fluid motion had he not been lying down.

"Careful there, big boy." Alice sneered as she crawled under the disc, Lara following behind her, avoiding the continuously threatening revolutions above. With a grunt, Kurtis turned to his stomach and followed suit.

The three stood up and approached the third set of columns cautiously. They'd spotted the open passageway on the opposite side previously, and had since determined that that was where they wanted to go. Lara stepped gingerly onto the space floor between the columns, surprised to see that nothing had happened. Alice followed her onto the floor, Kurtis ready to step behind. Only Lara noticed the slight rumbling of the floor, leaping back and bringing Kurtis with her as it crumbled, Alice having just enough time to grab the edge before pulling herself up.

"I'm really starting to hate that." She tried, looking at Lara and Kurtis. But her light hearted smile turned into a frown as she realized with the rest of them that the entire floor started rumbling. Without thinking, the trio jumped over the pit in the hall and raced through the doorway as the floor behind them collapsed into a pit of fiery hot lava.

* * *

* * *

A/N: ooh yay, its fun to write sexual tension!

thanks to everyone who read this!  
thanks to NFI for beta reading, too!

Spidy007-- thanks for reading this, and i'm very glad you are enjoying it!

Ellethiel-- as always, thanks for reading this and even more thanks for leaving reviews!

Odd Little Turtle-- thanks for your review, your opinion on Alice is really helpful; i apologize for not submitting more information on her, but i didnt want to get to into her character if everyone decided they hated her. Maybe i'll do a related story ( or sequel, depending on how this one finishes) that deals a little more with her character...until then, keep reading and thanks!

Dont forget to review!


	20. Atrum Umbra de Silenti reposted

_**A/N: sorry, third time i've reposted this chapter. Something is wrong with my stat counters and i had to repost one more time...unfortunately i dont know how many people have read, so please reviewso i can gauge how quickly i need to update! sorry for any inconvenience!**_

_**revised just slightly from the original posting. Hope it makes more sense now!**_

* * *

**Atrum Umbra de Silenti**

"That was fun" Lara actually said to her partners, loving the experience a narrowly escaped death gave her.

"Sure. Tons of fun." Kurtis replied coldly.

With out another word, the three walked through the doorway, now finding themselves in a large, circular arena, with a high pointed dome and walls that began to slope at the floor. Once again, a circular opening in the pinnacle of the dome shed a soft, white light on the cavernous complex.

"What do we do know? There are no doors." Alice asked, innocently.

"There's always a door." Lara stated, with authority.

"No, she's actually right. There aren't any doors. But look, there's some sort of grating in the center…" Kurtis replied coolly, as they started walking towards a grated trapdoor directly opposite the circular hole in the ceiling. "But how does it open?"

Lara scanned the room. She knew enough about gratings in the floor to understand that there probably was a switch somewhere to open it. Indeed there was. High up on the wall lay a little crevasse, which once followed it led to a small opening in the sloping wall-ceiling.

"Look. Up there. It'll take some climbing, but ultimately, not a problem. I'll do it." Lara said without any uttered disagreement. She walked over to the wall were she began to make the ascent to the crevasse, her lithe muscles accustomed to the jaunt and relishing in every movement up the wall.

As she made her climb, Alice and Kurtis tried to fill the void in their conversations with a survey of the room. They purposely slipped to opposite sides from the other, taking in the expanse of the architecture.

"Kurtis!" Alice hissed. "There's something here. It's Latin…" Kurtis sauntered over.

"What, you don't know Latin?"

"French, German, Russian, and some Arabic, but no, no Latin."

Kurtis tried to hide the astonishment he felt at the degree of languages she knew by leaning forward and attempting to translate the script, as Lara pulled herself into the housing of the switch.

"_**Angelus socius caelitus unto Abyssus , exspectata per atrum umbra de silenti etc**: _The Angels fell from heaven unto hell, and were welcomed by the dark shadows of the Dead. Huh, wonder what that's supposed to mean." Just then, Lara pulled the switch, causing the trapdoor to open as the floor shuddered slightly. Alice's hands wrapped themselves around Kurtis's arm as they braced themselves. When the floor stopped shaking, Kurtis noticed this, and smirked at Alice.

"Oh grow up," she said, sounding exasperated and condescending. "With your history of translations, I expected the worst. And yes, if I went down, I was taking you with me." She sauntered off to the center of the room by the grate coldly, once again leaving Kurtis confused.

Having pulled the switch, Lara began her descent. It was not a difficult climb up, but it was harder going down. She trailed down the ceiling before she was no more than a story off the ground. Instead of finishing the climb, however, she jumped, lacking the patience to end properly. No sooner had she made her way to the center of the floor, where she was met by Alice staring into the abyss and Kurtis looking confused as ever, when the white light from the ceiling dimmed considerably, casting shadows that were rapidly encroaching onto the trio in the center.

"What the Hell?" Lara asked, astounded and slightly worried.

"_Dark Shadows of Hell_. Shit. Jump in, you do not want to see this…" Lara did, realizing she had jumped into a pool of eerily lit water, the walls cavernous but casting just enough of a glow to make her way down. "Alice, come on!" Kurtis shouted at Alice who was still staring at the shadows.

"Go, I'll cover. I'll be right behind you" She shouted in reply. Kurtis, wanting to believe her, jumped in and began his decent behind Lara, hearing some rapid gunfire before he could hear nothing but the silence of the water.

The tunnel was dark, filled with ragged rocks and sharp outcropping that Lara dodged and avoided, knowing, as she followed it ever downwards, that if she didn't find air soon, she alone would start failing, not to mention the two people she hoped were behind her. Her lungs started aching and her body began to struggle, trying with all her might to keep in control. Suddenly, the tunnel curved upward into a perfectly square, large room. With no choice but to hope there was air, Lara used her last oxygen to kick her legs vigorously, shooting out of the water, gasping for air.

The room she'd emerged in was tiled pristinely, with torches illuminating the room, but leaving the ceiling shrouded by darkness. There was a solid door opposite of the side she'd emerged on. Three of the four walls had a small ledge and walkway around the perimeter of the room, leading ultimately to the arched door. Having regained enough air to control her body she made her way to the side, pulling herself up onto the tiles and sitting, trying to regain strength, just as Kurtis also shot out of the water. He too gasped for air and found it, moving towards the wall.

"Alice?" Lara asked, trying to determine where her comrade was.

Kurtis just shrugged, and Lara could sense worry and sadness emanating from him. He'd just made his way to the wall, readying to pull himself up, when Alice burst through the surface of the water, flailing, gasping, and shaking. Without thinking, Kurtis reached his arm out, encircling it around her waist and pulling her to the wall. He noticed she didn't try to wriggle free. _Dumbass, probably because she's half drowned._ He pulled her to the wall, supporting her and pushing her up so she sat on dry land, pulling himself up next to her.

Obviously, Alice had been a lot closer to not making it as the other two had, not having as much exposure to underwater activity as Lara, nor as much lung capacity and strong a stroke as Kurtis (ironic, considering he was, or had been, a smoker. Lara obviously had no qualms about voicing her disproval.) It took her a few minutes to get her breathing to normal. Lara encircling the room and taking it in, Kurtis sitting next to her stroking her back.

He couldn't help himself. It had started as an effort to calm and regulate her breathing, but the physical contact and the soaking wet figure besides him encouraged his mind, if not his hand, to wander as small shivers, that he, of course, blamed on the water, coursed through his veins. He tried to brush the thoughts he was having about her aside once her breathing was normal, but he couldn't stop thinking about _her. _

Somewhat suddenly, she turned to him, wide eyed with fear.  
"_Dark Shadows of Death?_ What…what where those…_things?_" She managed

"I don't know exactly. Whatever they were, they were placed here probably by the Nephilim, an effort to keep people from finding the Sleeper and shield unless they meant business." He realized abruptly that his hand still rested on her back and snatched it rapidly away, averting his eyes in an effort to conceal his embarrassment. _Why are you embarrassed? You've done this countless times…she's just another woman…_he tried to assure himself. Thankfully, Alice was too consumed in her own thoughts to realize anything peculiar.

"_Jesus what have I gotten myself into?"_ Alice thought aloud, staring now into the water. She was suddenly distracted as she felt something warm trickle down her arm. She reached for it, finding a deep gash. "From the rocks," She explained to no one in particular, pulling a bandage out of her pack and securing it tightly around her arm. She got up followed by Kurtis and walked the perimeter around the pool to where Lara stood in front of the doorway.

As he followed her, Kurtis digest her words not meant to be heard, _'Jesus what have I gotten myself into?'_ he thought. _No wonder she's so hostile. I mean, she hardly knows me and is placing her total trust in us, for some artifact that she knows so little about._ He joined them; standing next to Alice he motioned as if to put a supportive hand at the small of her back, but caught himself before making contact with her skin. He laughed inwardly as a smirk danced across his face before he returned his hand tohis side.

"**_Plures may obduco hac, tamen tantum validus of fides quod validus of pectus pectoris mos quondam iterum reverto._** Many may pass this way, but only the strong of faith and strong of heart will once again return.. Sounds promising. Kurtis?" He grunted in reply, caught from his silent reverie, as he realized she was referencing the barbed arrow sign in the keystone of the doorway.

"I guess that's my cue." He moved forward, unable to see the confused look in Alice's eye. He reached his hand out to touch the solid door, and shut his eyes, the bluish shadow that erupted from his shoulder embedding itself as a ray in the keystone; the door moved aside with a deep, guttural rumble.

"Beautiful. Shall we?" Lara asked, her question obviously rhetoric as she confidently led the way into the passage.

Alice steadied herself, trying to gain recover from her dazed expression mere moments before, simultaneously trying to build confidence before she followed Lara down the hall. She smiled meekly at Kurtis before realizing that she was actually wishing he was holding her. _Are you crazy? You know better than that! _She quickly turned her head to face the hall as her smile vanished as she began to walk; Kurtis behind her witha smirk playing across his features.

The tunnel continued for some time, before Lara checked herself, stopping before the passageway terminated in another door only Kurtis could open. She didn't say a word as she stepped off to the side to let him approach the door, reluctant to relinquish the position of tomb raider she'd rediscovered. Kurtis approached the door quietly, his palm outstretched and his eyes closed, and Alice merely with silent yet hidden awe as a blue, translucent ray emitted from Kurtis's shoulder and vanished in a barbed-arrow engraving at the keystone above the doorway. The door slid open magically, and the trio stepped cautiously into the room beyond.

It was circular in theory, but in practice there were four flat walls. The passageway emerged from one, another passageway opposite, and lastly two arched doorways housed two formidable, wooden doors, with gargoyle-esque carvings of angels and demons, the one off two the right of where the trio stood housing a heavenly scene, and the opposite holding a more sinister, evil depiction of hell.

There were two pedestals in the center of the room, in line with the two doorways. They were surrounded by a single, circular floor tile, glossy but engraved. Kurtis went up to it, leaned over, and read the engravings, Lara and Alice close behind him.

"**_Talis ut illic est a Olympus quod Abyssus , sic quoque es illic duos of plurimus : Duos keys , ostendo sum duos ianua , ostendo sum duos praemium.:_** Such as there is a Heaven and Hell, so too are there two of most: Two keys, reveal two doors, reveal two prizes."

"Two keys? But, that's impossible, there was only one at the Duomo Obscurita! Where are we to get the second?" Lara asked, thinking aloud.

"Key? Like this?" Alice asked innocently, pulling a metallic, circular object from her bag. "I found it up in the room with the _shadows_. I guess the switch raised a pedestal raised. I ran to get it before dropping my gun and diving," She explained. Kurtis eyed her inquisitively. "But still, two prizes? I thought there was just the shield?" Alice continued..

"Well, I guess when the sleeper was buried, the Lux Veritatis buried with it a sword. This sword, **lux lucis**, or Light, is allegedly the only thing that can actually destroy evil."

"This is new information," Lara blandly accused Kurtis.

"Yeah, sorry. I Knew the Lux buried the sword, I just didn't know where. It makes sense though. 'Two Prizes'. It has to be here." Lara shrugged in response to his reply.

"So that could take out the Sleeper? But then why would Kaufman and Petrova send us down, we could potentially destroy the nephilim—"Alice continued.

"They didn't know about it." Lara intervened.

"Our job just got easier." Kurtis announced.

Lara examined the prominent pedestal. "Ahh, the old _eye of Horus _trick—"

"Wasn't Horus an Egyptian God? And isn't whatever we are dealing with, well, _not?_" Alice timidly asked.

"Yes. It's not peculiar to the Egyptians though. That was just the last time I'd seen it." Lara paused, expecting a shudder to overtake her but when none did, she was grateful and inwardly smiling. "Here, we'll need to combine the two keys so it fits in the lock on the pedestal."

Alice gingerly stepped up to the pedestal, facing Lara.

"This is it, you ready?" Alice asked, her voice void of any emotion exclusive of curiosity and anxiousness.

"On three. One….two…three."

**A/N: just to lazy to get that beta read, sorry if there are mistakes but i just had to post it. **

**i know some disproval was voiced about alice, but i promise you at some point in the future we'll learn more about her. in the meantime, i hope your having as much fun reading sexual tension as i am writing it. which is to say, alot. haha.**

**thanks toMythrael, Ellethiel, Akkon, The odd little tutle, and Spidy007 for reviewing! i really appreciate it and am glad to hear what you think!**

**also, in case anyone is confused as to what the barbed arrow symbol looks like, its from the game i think meant to represent the periapt shards. anyways, if you need a visual,** http/img346.imageshack.us/img346/5232/luxveritatisfinala4lh.jpg **(i got it off google images)**

**anyways, i hope you enjoy. time seems so limited these days i really have no idea when the next chapter will be up, but i can guarantee that the more reviews i get the less time you'll have to wait! (no point in writing if no one is reading!)**

**Thanks to all my readers, and enjoy!**


	21. Sword and Shield, part 1

_okay, i'm a little anxious to get this up...i warn it's not been edited..._

* * *

**Sword and Shield**

The two women combined their keys, Lara's the circular border to Alice's Veritatis seal, then placed the key in the lock on the pedestal as the room shook mightily. After it stopped, they looked at the two doors that were now completely open.

"So where to first?" Alice asked.

"They might be on some sort of timer or something. We should split up and take them separately. I've got this one," Lara delegated, pointing to the door behind her. "You two take that one." Without a word of complaint, which was already forming on both Alice and Kurtis's mouths, Lara walked off towards the door depicting the hell scene.

Alice sighed, unhappy with her new situation.

"Alright. Let's get a move on." She said to Kurtis before turning around and walking through the door with the Angels, Kurtis behind her.

* * *

Lara knew that there would be tension between Kurtis and Alice, but hoped against hope that they would be too overwhelmed with the discovery to bicker. She entered into the large room via the doorway with the scenes of hell. 

She was cautious in the room; there was something about it that made her hesitate. It was simply a large, rectangular room with torches every few yards on the wall. She noticed the hexagonal shape of the tiles as she stepped out onto them. _Well, these were generally a bad sign in the Hall of Seasons, let's hope these fare better._ She thought as she gingerly stepped onto the second row of tiles.

_Damn. Everything is two. Heaven _and_ Hell._ She mentally cursed as the room underwent a dramatic change. The torches that lined the walls flipped upside down, the flame contacting a stream of oil that covered the walls immediately below the torches, trickling down to the floor, intertwining among the tiles of the floor. Suddenly, the Walls and Ceiling erupted in flame, as did several tiles. _This must be Hell._

* * *

Alice and Kurtis walked side by side in silence through a hall on the other side of the opened doorway. Alice took some comfort in the Angels that adorned the doorway, although she knew they were only superficial. Kurtis wanted to say something to her, something personal and intimate, a reference to the kiss they'd shared earlier, but couldn't –_what can I say? I'm sorry? I'm not. I hope you liked it? Do I want to know the answer to that?_ The silence was getting oppressive before the hallway faded into a large room. The room was eerily bright, the ceiling a façade of white light that led the duo to wonder if it in fact, ever ended, much like shadows would conceal. Gilded motifs and engravings of angels playing in heaven adorned the walls, elsewhere a pristine white marble, almost blinding despite the presence of shadows at the corners and recesses of the room. Alice walked in the room, the light brilliant. In squinting her eyes she made a fatal mistake: she blinked.

* * *

Lara's adventurer's instinct quickly surveyed the transformed room in front of her. She realized that the intense heat was, despite the mildly hot temperature as she perceived it, melting or weakening the structure of the room, the stones on the floor sinking into a liquid substance. She had no idea of its origin, but had enough experience to know that it would result in her untimely death. Strategically planning her jump, Lara soared through the air to land on one of the few tiles still remaining. She breathed in, relieved, before her heat beat increased once again, the tile she was on slowly sinking into the plasma._ Damn, I just can't get a break_. She dashed along the makeshift path, the intensifying heat leaving her skin tingling with burn, the tiles disappearing almost before she could even get her foot off them. She pushed herself to run faster. Adrenaline pumping her blood faster than her own heart could, she skidded to a stop on the last tile. Unfortunately she hadn't reached the end of the room, too.

* * *

When Alice opened her eyes a chill ran through her body. Physically, she was freezing. _All around her she looked out on the snowy terrain of an American military base in Russia. She smiled the chill that froze her bones replaced by a warm sensation. She looked around her. She could see the boys coming out of the bunks. She was always in there with them. Her father didn't like it, didn't like her associating himself with his men. But they were her brothers as much as they were each other's brothers-in-arms. And her father didn't really offer anywhere else for her to go. He was more of a father to them than he was to her. She could see them; the man, an officer of high rank, and the woman, garbed in plainclothes. They were smiling, holding hands. She smiled back. But as the approached she watched their smiles fade. She couldn't block out the yelling and crying in her head that had once emitted from their now silent lips. They kept on approaching her, until the woman faded away, the man now walking by himself. The snow disappeared as it was replaced by an office, more wild and foreboding than the snowy terrain outside. The man sat down in a chair, his once happy face changed to a truly fearful one. Wondering what could have changed him, she spun around. Her eyes widened, but no sound escaped her lips. She shut her eyes, willing herself to return to the room, she couldn't handle this. She wanted to be back._ Alice shook her head as she opened her eyes, sighing a relieved gasp as she fell to her knees in the white room.

* * *

The tiles below and behind her were sinking fast, but her options were limited. She looked at the gap to the opposing doorway. It was impossible to make with a standing jump, but she knew without looking behind that it was impossible for her to do anything but. Were she a pessimist, she would have closed her eyes as her calves and quads pushed her off from the tile just as it sunk into the molten liquid. But a pessimist Lara was not, nor was she one to doubt her capabilities. And so, wide-eyed, she saw the ledge looming in front of her as she began her descent, and she knew when to reach her hand out to grab it. The jostle tore at her arms, fully descended by the grip of her fingers from the ledge. She smelt burning rubber and knew, as she pulled herself up, that the soles of her shoes, at least in some part, were victim to the heat of the liquid. She wiped the dirt and sweat off her hands on her shorts as she walked through the doorway.  
"Heaven can only get better"

* * *

_Somehow, Kurtis found himself back in Utah. It was his father's house. He could still read the inscription on the wall, _"_And heaven's light will shine down and spread truth".__But the house was worn in ways that Kurtis had never seen. He knew he had already left for the legion, leaving his legacy behind. His father was talking with a man Kurtis couldn't see, but the general presence in the room suggested it was an Elder. "He's left." He could hear from unmoving lips. "Yes. But it will be our resurrection. He cannot deny his heritage, and in turn it will not deny him". "But—"_A sharp pain across his face ended the vision. He blinked a few times in rapid succession, the room startlingly white, before he realized that, standing before him, Alice had slapped him. He knew that she knew that he'd come back, from wherever he was, as she suddenly averted her eyes somewhat ashamedly. 

"Sorry," She said. Then: "I don't know what happened"

"'_And heaven's light will shine down and spread truth.' _It's an old Lux saying." Alice only shook her head, her energy somewhat dampened. "And going with the theme of duplicity, I'd say this room is 'Heaven'"

Alice thought of what she'd seen. It was nothing she didn't already know; it was just the brutality of it, and in many ways she didn't want to know all of it. She shook her head as the image of Marten Gunderson raising a gun to her father's head across the office sent a chill through her head.

"If this is Heaven, then I'd hate to see what Hell looks like"

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**A/N: ahh this is getting harder and harder to write... i hope everyone is still enjoying it! once again just to lazy/anxious to get it beta read, so sorry if anyone finds any mistakes.**

**So all of you, and i believe there were quite a few, who wanted to know more about Alice have Mythrael to thank. I hope i was able to give a little more insight into her character, but basically she grew up, for the most part, on an American Military Base in Russia, her parents had a messy divorce, and then Gunderson killed her father...just incase you couldn't figure that out. Hopefully i'll explain her even more later on, and for those of you who wanted to know more i hope i've appeased you thus far!**

**Thanks to NFI, Mythrael, Ellethiel, and Spidy007 for reviewing chapter 19! as always, your reviews are much appreciated!**

**Thanks also to Kayla and Jesusismyhomeboy4ever for reviewing other chapters in the story! i'm glad to hear that you are enjoying it and i hope i can maintain your attention!**

**I'm hoping the next update will be next weekend, but as always please review to let me know that you are in fact reading, and that it is, in fact, worth writing!**

**Thanks!**


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